A Sea Queen's Sailing

ls was in our ears, unnoticed, and we had made up our minds that there was no man on the island and that we need fear no meddling with the ship until the sea cal

ur swords as if Heidrek himself had come. But no man came with him, and suddenly he turned and fled as if he had heard a call. I was about to follow him to t

d had a hood which framed his pleasant, red face. Black-haired and gray-eyed he was, and his hands were those of one who works hard in the fields. There was a carv

stayed suddenly when he came on us. His face paled, and he half started back, as if he was terrified. Then he recovered himself,

"father! Stay--we are Irish--at least

nee before him, saying something which I did not catch. Whereon the man lifted his hand and made the sig

I went toward them, leaving Gerda and

of Caithness, a g

len into the hands of some good fathers, which is more than I

f what I spoke. And as he heard he smiled and did as he had done to Dalfin, signing and saying wo

ome of these heathen Danes--or Norse men, rather, from your

t, father," said Dalfi

inted and smi

aught but holy men. If there were none but men among you, even were you the Loc

be Gerda whom he fears! Nay, father, the lady i

e face of a lady," sa

," answered Dalfin. "But, without jesting, the poor lady is in sore need of shelter and

y son? There

ome you? Are you wea

he world, my son. We are

rmit might be I did not at all know, and it meant nothing to me. I w

rade, "you do not sleep on

There are six of us,

ady? It will not be for long, as we will go he

eye on Dalfin's splendid torque, and

y--but it is no foolish question if I ask who you are t

r. The torque has come back to

y way fell from him altogether. He went on his knee before Dalfin, and

ning down his cheeks. "It was told me that you had gon

and raised the he

e--but the lady, who is a queen in Norway, shipwrecked with us her

e of which I spoke must needs be broken; nay, not

tric, a Saxon thane, who is my friend also and a goo

threw up

. "Alack, alack! May th

her. There were none, and so

drowned, every man of them," said the hermit with much

said in reproof. "Aye, heathen Lochlann and Christian Scot, and homely Er

he turned to Dalfin as a councillor might turn to his pri

fin, and so we went to the fire, wher

nd welcomed her in Erse, which I had to translate. Also he told her that what shelte

f will be welcome after the ship's de

f the fisher folk, who will be here as soon as they see the wreck," said Be

id. "These are holy monks, of a sort who care for poverty more tha

nd for about half a mile, to the foot of the hill or nearly, and then came on a little valley amid the rising ground, where trees grew, low and wind twisted, but green and ple

the sea, though there was none now. From the hill and down the valley across the space between the huts ran a little brook, crossed in two or three places by wandering paths, some with a stepping stone, and others with only a muddy jumping p

eam, and fowls strolled among the huts. I saw one peer into an open door, raise one claw slowly as if s

more he throws things at the hens, the more the

urry, and now retired behind the hut with the

ing and rubbing his hands together. "They know that Fergu

some of his brethren. We had been silent as we came, and he had gone before

ch for them, and are disappointed if we miss them. Ah, well, tonight at least we shall have somewhat more wonderful of which to tal

ed a young man to be in this desolate place of his own free will, for h

tled hurdle, lest the pigs should wander. Here the hermit stopped, and before he o

like our guide, speaking to one another fast, with eager faces and gestures. At that time

id not come to meet us. I saw Dalfin smiling

nasterboice long ago," he answered; "but he is telling them that here

no longing for things outside their island cares. Five out of these six were old men, our guide being the youngest, and two of them were very old, with long, white beards. One of these t

time those strangers who have come from the sea have needed nothing from us but the last rites. We are all u

re. Dalfin thanked him, and after he had heard, he

ay be done. The care must be yours, as was the first welc

folk in need, father," said Phelim me

with that turned and went his way, leaning on the arm of the other anc

or forty years. He will forget that he has seen you present

m. "It is needful that we get it ashore before the tide turns. I

Dansk tongue we had been using. I had

be well. We will return at once. W

deliberated for a time. It seemed that the pigs had one empty hut, and the fowls another. The largest was th

cell for that of another, leaving it free for the queen, and then we can shift for ourselves

ndeed, is not saying much for the rest. We were likely to be warm enough in it; but the cells were clean and dry, each with a bed of heather and a stone table and stool, and some little store of rough crocker

that there was naught to fear. The two old brothers had gone their way to their own cells, and would not come forth again till vesper time, as Phelim tol

ck at times," he sai

ed as far as we could see along the shore. It was only the chance of the high spring tide, driven yet higher than its wont by the wind on the sh

er of the two boats over the side, and ran her up into safety, with her fittings. And then, for there was yet time, Dalfin would have us save the wonderful carved wagon which was on the deck unhurt,

to pieces in the night as the tide rose again. Now and then the rain squalls came up and drenched us, and passed; but the brothers cared as little for them as did

gently. "I have seen these two friends, who are nobles in their own lands, work as hard at oar and rope's end a

to walk behind the wagon in a sort of idle train, not altogether sorry to rest, for we were very weary by this time. As for the hermits, they made light of

her own chest, and have the court men's to the hut which had been given us. We bade Phelim, as guest master, take what he would of the provender as he liked, say

nd we enjoy it. We shall talk of it all for many a long da

Gerda came and asked for a little help, and I went and moved her chest for her, and hung a heavy curtain, which I have no doubt was a wrec

pper, but it is strange not to feel the tossing of the ship. It is wonde

through the countless discomforts and dangers o

hter indeed, my queen," I answered. "It is enough

therein. Then in much comfort we saw to our arms, red with the sea rust, and hung them round the cell, which was some nine feet across and about the same heigh

e up and went gladly. I had no thought that I coul

fin quietly. "He is not of our fait

ermit kindly. "He can be no evil hea

teen feet long and ten wide. Over the door was a cross of white stones set in the wall, and at the eastern end was a cross also, and an altar, on which were candles of wax, at which I wondered, seeing them in

ren in the churches round the coast wantonly might be stayed from these doings; but they did not pray for the destruction of these terrible foes. They asked that they might be forgiven for the wrong they did to harmless men. And I heard them read from a book whose leaves, as the reader turned them, I saw were

nd across to the cell they had given us, and there they gave us a supper of barley bread and milk, setting asi

tter watch through the night, if only for Gerda's co

hostly foe, against whom your arms were of no avail. Nay, do you sleep in peace. All the night l

n, father?" I asked, somewhat

red; "the wolf

me from the mainland,

"Nay, my son, it is no earthly wolf we watch against. Hereafter you may

ught fresh heather for our bedding while we ate, and blankets, and though the light still lingered in the wes