The Norsemen in the West | Page 8

driven back by
stress of weather. He was taken ill soon after that, and died. Since then
Gudrid has dwelt with my household, and glad we are to have her. This
is the whole story of Vinland; so if you want to know more about it you
must e'en go on a voyage of discovery for yourself."
"I should like nothing better," replied Karlsefin, "if I could only--"
At that moment the door was burst violently open, and a man with
bloodshot eyes and labouring breath rushed in exclaiming, "The
Skraelinger! the Skraelinger are upon us!"
CHAPTER THREE.

DARK WAR-CLOUDS LOWER, BUT CLEAR AWAY WITHOUT
A SHOWER--VOICES AND LEGS DO GOOD SERVICE.
"Up, carls, buckle on your war-gear!" cried Leif, rising hastily on
hearing the announcement with which the last chapter ended.
"Run, Thorward, call out our men," whispered Karlsefin; "I will stay to
learn what Leif means to do. Bring them all up to the door."
Thorward was gone almost before the sentence was finished. Leif and
his house-carls, of whom there were ten present at the time, did not take
long to busk them for the fight. The Norse of old were born, bred, and
buried--if they escaped being killed and cut to pieces--in the midst of
alarms. Their armour was easily donned, and not very cumbrous. Even
while Leif was giving the first order to his men, Gudrid had run to the
peg on which hung his sword and helmet, and brought him these
implements of war.
"My men and I shall be able to render you some service, Leif," said
Karlsefin; "what do you intend to do?"
"Do!" exclaimed Leif with a grim laugh, as he buckled on his sword,
"why, I shall give the Skraelingers a tremendous fright, that is all. The
rascals! They knew well that we were short-handed just now, and
thought to take advantage of us; but hah! they do not seem to be aware
that we chance to have stout visitors with us to-night. So, lads, follow
me."
Biarne, meanwhile, had darted out on the first alarm, and assembled all
the men in the settlement, so that when Leif, Karlsefin, and the
housemen issued out of the cottage they found about a dozen men
assembled, and others running up every moment to join them. Before
these were put in array most of the men of Karlsefin's ship, numbering
forty, and those belonging to Thorward, numbering thirty, came up, so
that when all were mustered they were little if at all short of one
hundred stout warriors.
The moon came out brightly at the time, and Leif chuckled as he

watched Biarne put the men hastily into marching order.
"Methought you said that war was distasteful," observed Karlsefin, in
some surprise.
"So it is, so it is, friend," replied Leif, still laughing in a low tone; "but
there will be no war to-night. Leave your bows behind you, lads," he
added, addressing the men; "you won't want them; shield and sword
will be enough. For the matter of that, we might do without both. Now,
lads, follow my leading, and do as I bid you; advance with as little
noise as may be."
So saying, Leif led the way out of the little hamlet towards the
extremity of the ridge or spur of the mountains that sheltered Ericsfiord
from the north-west.
Towards that same extremity another band of men were hastening on
the other side of the ridge. It was a band of our hairy friends whom the
Norsemen called Skraelingers.
Truly there was something grand in the look and bearing of the tall man
with the flat face, as he led his band to attack the warlike Norsemen,
and there was something almost sublime in the savage, resolute aspect
of the men who followed him--each being armed with a large walrus
spear, and each being, moreover, an adept in the use of it.
Flatface (in default of a better, let that name stick to him) had
ascertained beyond a doubt that the entire available force of Norsemen
in Ericsfiord had, in consequence of fishing and other expeditions, been
reduced to barely thirty fighting men. He himself could muster a band
of at least one hundred and fifty good men and true--not to mention
hairy, a hundred and fifty seals having unwillingly contributed their
coats to cover these bloodthirsty Skraelingers. The Norsemen, Flatface
knew, were strong men and bold, besides being large, but he resolved
to take them by surprise, and surely (he argued with himself) a hundred
and fifty brave men with spears will be more than a match for thirty
sleepy men unarmed and in bed!

Flatface had screwed himself up with such considerations; made a few
more inflammatory speeches to his men, by way of screwing them up
also, and then, a