The Norsemen in the West | Page 6

a swagger that was worthy of a descendant of a long
line of sea-kings, who could trace their lineage back to Odin himself.
"The slaves," continued Karlsefin, "are from the land of the Scots.
Wouldst like to see a Scotsman, Gudrid?" he added, turning to the
widow who sat near him.
"I should like it much. I have heard of the Scots in Iceland. 'Tis said
they are a well-favoured race, stout warriors, and somewhat fond of
trading."
Leif and Biarne both laughed loud and long at this.
"In good truth they are a stout race, and fight like very wild-cats, as
Biarne and I can testify; as to their being well-favoured, there can be no
question about that; though they are rather more rugged than the people
farther south, and--yes, they are good traders, and exceedingly cautious
men. They think well before they speak, and they speak

slowly--sometimes they won't speak at all. Ha! ha! Here, I drink to the
land of the Scot. It is a grand good land, like our own dear old
Norway."
"Brother-in-law," exclaimed Gudrid, reproachfully, "do you forget that
you are an Icelander?"
"Forget!" exclaimed Leif, tossing back his yellow locks, and raising the
tankard again to pledge his native land; "no, I shall only forget Iceland
when I forget to live; but I don't forget, also, that it is only about 130
years since my great-grandfather and his companions came over from
Norway to Iceland. Before that it was an unpeopled rock in the
Northern Sea, without name or history. [Iceland was colonised by
Norsemen about the year 874.] 'Twas as little known then as Vinland is
known now."
"By the way, Biarne," said Karlsefin, turning to his friend, "the mention
of Vinland reminds me that, when you and I met last, you did not give
me a full account of that discovery, seeing that you omitted to mention
your own share in it. Tell me how was it, and when and where was it?
Nay, have I unintentionally touched on a sore point?" he added, on
observing a slight shade of annoyance pass over Biarne's usually
cheerful countenance.
"He is a little sore about it," said Leif, laughing. "Come, Biarne, don't
be thin-skinned. You know the saying, A dutiful son makes a glad
father. You had the best of reasons for acting as you did."
"Ay, but people don't believe in these best of reasons," retorted Biarne,
still annoyed, though somewhat mollified by Leif's remarks.
"Never mind, 'tis long past now. Come, give us the saga. 'Tis a good
one, and will bear re-telling."
"Oh yes," exclaimed Olaf, with sparkling eyes, for the boy dearly loved
anything that bore the faintest resemblance to a saga or story, "tell it,
Biarne."

"Not I," said Biarne; "Leif can tell it as well as I, if he chooses."
"Well, I'll try," said Leif, laying his huge hand on the table and looking
earnestly at Karlsefin and Thorward. The latter was a very silent man,
and had scarcely uttered a word all the evening, but he appeared to take
peculiar interest in Vinland, and backed up the request that Leif would
give an account of its discovery.
"About twenty summers ago," said Leif, "my father, Eric the Red, and
his friend Heriulf, Biarne's father, came over here from Iceland. [A.D.
986.] Biarne was a very young man at the time--little more than a boy--
but he was a man of enterprise, and fond of going abroad, and
possessed a merchant-ship of his own with which he gathered wealth,
and, I will say it, reputation also--though perhaps I should not say that
to his face.
"He was a good son, and used to be by turns a year abroad and a year
with his father. He chanced to be away in Norway when Heriulf and
my father Eric came over to Greenland. On returning to Iceland he was
so much disappointed to hear of his father's departure that he would not
unload his ship, but resolved to follow his old custom and take up his
winter abode with his father. `Who will go with me to Greenland?' said
he to his men. `We will all go,' replied the men. `Our expedition,' said
Biarne, `will be thought foolish, as none of us have ever been on the
Greenland sea before.' `We mind not that,' said the men--so away they
sailed for three days and lost sight of Iceland. Then the wind failed;
after that a north wind and a fog set in, and they knew not where they
were sailing to; and this lasted many days. At length the sun appeared.
Then they knew the quarters of the sky, and, after sailing a day and a
night, made the land.
"They saw that it was without mountains, was covered with