Olaf the Glorious | Page 3

the plank. The sunlight
shone upon his fair young face. His clear blue eyes flashed like stars
under his knitted brows. He ran his fingers over his short yellow hair,
and then, turning with his back to the sun, flung one of his knives high
up into the air. As it turned in its descent he flung a second knife, then
caught the first and again threw it high--higher even than the vane on
the ship's tall mast. He stood with his bare feet firmly gripping the
plank, and his head thrown back, and his lithe, well balanced body
swaying in regular movement with his arms. Then as the two gleaming
weapons were well in play, rising and falling in quick succession, one
of his hands went to his belt, and he drew yet a third knife and plied it
in turn with the other two.
At this there was a murmur of praise from both ship and shore, and the
vikings declared that never before had they seen one so young display
such skill. And all the while Sigurd Erikson kept his eyes upon the lad's
glowing, upturned face.
"Who is this child?" he asked of the tall youth at his side. But the sad
eyed Thorgils paid no heed to the question, but only crept nearer to the
end of the gangboard, and stood there earnestly watching. As he looked

at the ship's bulwarks he caught sight of the man with the red beard and
broken nose--the chief of the vikings,--and he cried out to his
companion:
"Enough, Ole, enough!"
Then the boy caught his knives and thrust them one by one into his belt,
and, turning shoreward, strode quickly down the plank and made his
way through the cheering crowd, followed by Thorgils. Many of the
vikings called him back with offers of reward, and Sigurd Erikson tried
to arrest him as he passed. But the young slave only gave a careless
laugh and ran swiftly away.
Now it seemed that Sigurd had a mind to go after him. But as he was
leaving the crowd he met a certain rich merchant of the town, and he
said:
"Tell me, Biorn, who is this yellow haired lad that has just proved
himself so skilful at the knife feat? And whence came he into
Esthonia?"
The merchant shook his head and said:
"He is a wild and wilful loon, hersir, and of no account to any man. As
to his feat with the knives, had I my will I'd have it instant death to any
thrall who should so much as touch a sharpened weapon."
"By his looks I would judge him to be Norway born," said Sigurd.
"That may well be," returned the merchant, "for it is true that he came
with the west wind. It was I who bought him from the vikings, with
another of his kind--one Thorgils, who is to this day my bond slave. I
bought them in exchange for a good he goat from Klerkon Flatface.
Very soon I found the younger lad was worthless. There was little that I
could do with him; so I sold him to a dalesman named Reas, who gave
me a very fine rain cloak for him; nor do I rue my bargain, for the cloak
is still in use and the lad is scarcely of the value of his food and
shelter."
"How do men name the lad?" inquired Sigurd. "And whose son is he?"
"Whose son he may be is no concern of mine," answered the merchant.
"Some viking's brat, it may be; for he has the viking spirit in him, and
the salt of the sea is in his veins. No landman can tame him. As to his
name, if ever he had one, 'tis certain he has none now, and is only
known as Reasthrall, for he is the thrall of Reas the bonder."
"If it be that Reas will sell his thrall," said Sigurd, "then I would

willingly buy the lad, and take him back with me into Holmgard as an
offering to the Queen Allogia."
"Think twice ere you act so unkindly towards the queen," said the
merchant. "A goodlier gift for Allogia would surely be the jewelled
brooch that I showed you yesternight; and you shall have it very cheap.
The price is but twelve gold marks."
But before Sigurd could reply a heavy hand was laid upon his shoulder,
and a gruff voice called out his name. He turned and saw at his side the
tall red bearded viking chief, whose broken nose and coarse scarred
face were now shielded from the sun's rays by a wide hat made of dry
reeds.
"Well met, Hersir Sigurd!" said the warrior. "And what lordly business
brings you north to the coast? 'Tis