The Norsemen in the West | Page 9

little before midnight, set forth on his expedition.
Now it chanced that there was a man among the Norsemen who was a
great hunter and trapper. His name was Tyrker--the same Tyrker
mentioned by Leif as being the man who had found grapes in Vinland.
Leif said he was a German, but he said so on no better authority than
the fact that he had originally come to Norway from the south of
Europe. It is much more probable that he was a Turk, for, whereas the
Germans are known to be a well-sized handsome race of fair men, this
Tyrker was an ugly little dark wiry fellow, with a high forehead, sharp
eyes, and a small face; but he was extremely active, and, although an
elderly man, few of the youths in Ericsfiord could beat him at feats
requiring dexterity.
But, whether German or Turk, Tyrker was an enthusiastic trapper of
white, or arctic foxes. These creatures being very numerous in that part
of Greenland, he was wont to go out at all hours, late and early, to visit
his traps. Hence it happened that, on the night in question, Tyrker
found himself in company with two captured arctic foxes at, the
extremity of the mountain spur before referred to.
He could see round the corner of the spur into the country beyond, but
as the country there was not attractive, even at its best, he paid no
attention to it. He chanced, however, to cast upon it one glance after
setting his traps, just as he was about to return home. That glance called
forth a steady look, which was followed by a stare of surprise, and the
deep guttural utterance of the word "zz-grandimaghowl!" which, no
doubt, was Turkish, at that ancient date, for "hallo!"
It was the band of hairy creatures that had met his astonished sight.
Tyrker shrank behind the spur and peeped round it for a few seconds to
make quite sure. Then, turning and creeping fairly out of sight, he rose
and bounded back to the hamlet, as though he had been a youth of
twenty. As we have seen, he arrived, gasping, in time to warn his
friends.

Between the hamlet and the spur where Tyrker's traps were set there
were several promontories, or projections from the cliffs, all of which
had to be passed before the spur came in view. Leif led his men past the
first and second of these at a run. Then, believing that he had gone far
enough, he ordered his band to draw close up under the cliffs, where
the shadow was deepest, saying that he would go alone in advance to
reconnoitre.
"And mark me, lads," he said, "when I give a loud sneeze, do you give
vent to a roar that will only stop short of splitting your lungs; then give
chase, and yell to your hearts' content as you run; but see to it that ye
keep together and that no man runs past me. There is plenty of
moonlight to let you see what you're about. If any man tries to
overshoot me in the race I'll hew off his head."
This last remark was no figure of speech. In those days men were but
too well accustomed to hewing off heads. Leif meant to have his orders
attended to, and the men understood him.
On reaching the second projection of cliff after leaving his men, Leif
peeped round cautiously and beheld the advancing Skraelingers several
hundred yards off. He returned at once to his men and took up a
position at their head in the deep shadow of the cliffs.
Although absolutely invisible themselves, the Norsemen could see the
Skraelingers quite plainly in the moonlight, as they came slowly and
with great caution round each turn of the footpath that led to the hamlet.
There was something quite awe-inspiring in the manner of their
approach. Evidently Flatface dreaded a surprise, for he put each leg
very slowly in advance of the other, and went on tiptoe, glancing
quickly on either side between each step. His followers--in a compact
body, in deep silence and with bated breath--followed his steps and his
example.
When they came to the place where the men crouched in ambush, Leif
took up a large stone and cast it high over their heads. So quietly was
this done that none even of his own party heard him move or saw the
stone, though they heard it fall with a thud on the sand beyond.

The Skraelingers heard it too, and stopped abruptly--each man on one
leg, with the other leg and his arms more or less extended, just as if he
had been suddenly petrified. So in truth he had been--with horror!
To meet an open enemy, however powerful, would