Far off, toward where the land should be, the
fog still hung in banks, and doubtless Heidrek was still wrapped in
it. Not that we had much fear of him now, though it was certain
that he would not care to lose us without a search.
Now we raised some of the deck planking aft, and found a floor laid
in one place for stowage on either side of the keel. It would take
all we wished to get out of sight from off the deck.
"Now let me show you what is in these chests," Gerda said brightly.
"Then you will know how to set them."
I think she had a sort of sad pleasure in going through these
things. One by one, as we brought them to the open place, she
lifted the lids of the chests, and in them was treasure more than I
had ever heard of. Maybe it was only a small hoard for one who had
been a king in more than name in his time, but there was enough to
make Gerda a rich woman in any land where she might care to make a
home, if only we could save it for her. One chest held bags of
silver coin, stamped with the heads of many kings, and won from
many lands, though most came from the English shores, where the
burgesses of coast towns would pay ransom for their safety when the
longships sailed into their havens with the menace of fire and
sword.
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