"
He was in no way disquieted at this terrible thought. Thereafter I
knew that to him such a death was martyrdom, and most glorious.
But Bertric listened with a troubled face, and presently, when we
were alone again, he said that he was anxious.
"I only hope that we may not have brought trouble on these good men
who have sheltered us," he said. "There was a ship which must have
seen us cast ashore here."
"We should have had her back by this time if she meant seeking us."
"It is not her whom I fear," he answered. "This ship of ours was
too precious for Heidrek to let go easily. So soon as that fog
cleared, and he found we were not ahead on the Norway shore, he
would put about. He knew that we must be undermanned, being so
close to us. Then he would get back to where he lost us, and
thereafter would guess the only course we could have taken, for the
matter of handling the sail would settle that. We could not have
gone far ere the wind dropped. Then supposing he picked up our
mast?"
"Unlikely enough," I said. "We are raising trouble for ourselves."
Bertric shook his head. "I know Heidrek only too well. He may spend
this season in hunting for the treasure which he so nearly had.
News of a wreck flies fast, and he has but to touch here and there
on our track or thereabout to hear of us sooner or later.
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