Heidrek had added her
to his force, and manned her from the other two vessels; but before
we reached the ship I saw that Heidrek's men had piled their slain
into an outhouse, set the fagot stack round it, and fired it to
windward. There was no more honour for their fallen comrades than
that.
So I saw the last of my home in Caithness, and before me was the
life of a slave. They had stripped us of our mail and weapons, of
course, and had handled us roughly, but that might be borne. The
low door of the cramped sail room under the fore deck closed, and
we were in darkness, and then Dalfin set into words the thought of
us all, with a sort of dull groan:
"This morning I woke and thought it good to be alive!"
Almost at once the ship was warped out of the haven, and went to
sea. The last hope I had that the Scots might yet gather and fall
on these pirates left me at that time, and a sort of despair fell
on me. I think I swooned, or slept at that time, for thereafter I
can remember no more until the day was almost spent, and a man came
and opened the low door that he might bring us food--oaten loaves,
and ale in a great jug. Asbiorn stood outside.
"You may as well loose the men," he said carelessly; "we can mind
them well enough.
Pages:
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27