This Country Of Ours | Page 6

appeared a faint grey line far on the horizon. Then
their hearts bounded for joy. They had not sailed in vain, for land was
near.
"Surely," said Leif, as they drew close to it, "this is the land which
Bjarni saw. Let it not be said of us that we passed it by as he did."
So, casting anchor, Leif and his companions launched a boat and went
ashore. But it was no fair land to which they had come. Far inland great
snow-covered mountains rose, and between them and the sea lay flat
and barren rock, where no grass or green thing grew. It seemed to Leif
and his companions that there was no good thing in this land.
"I will call it Helluland or Stone Land," said Leif.
Then he and his companions went back to the ship and put out to sea
once more. They came to land again after some time, and again they
cast anchor and launched a boat and went ashore. This land was flat.
Broad stretches of white sand sloped gently to the sea, and behind the
level plain was thickly wooded.
"This land," said Leif, "shall also have a name after its nature." So he
called it Markland or Woodland.
Then again Leif and his companions returned to the ship, and mounting
into it they sailed away upon the sea. And now fierce winds arose, and
the ship was driven before the blast so that for days these seafarers
thought no more of finding new lands, but only of the safety of their
ship.
But at length the wind fell, and the sun shone forth once more. Then
again they saw land, and launching their boat they rowed ashore.
To the eyes of these sea-faring men, who for many days had seen only
the wild waste of waters, the land seemed passing fair. For the grass

was green, and as the sun shone upon it seemed to sparkle with a
thousand diamonds. When the men put their hands upon the grass, and
touched their mouths with their hands, and drank the dew, it seemed to
them that never before had they tasted anything so sweet. So pleasant
the land seemed to Leif and his companions that they determined to
pass the winter there. They therefore drew their ship up the river which
flowed into the sea, and cast anchor.
Then they carried their hammocks ashore and set to work to build a
house
When the house was finished Leif called his companions together and
spoke to them.
"I will now divide our company into two bands," he said, "so that we
may explore the country round about. One half shall stay at home, and
the other half shall explore the land. But they who go to explore must
not go so far away that they cannot return home at night, nor must they
separate from each other, lest they be lost."
And as Leif said so it was done. Each day a company set out to explore,
and sometimes Leif went with the exploring party, and sometimes he
stayed at home. But each day as evening came they all returned to their
house, and told what they had seen.
At length, however, one day, when those who had gone abroad returned,
one of their number was missing, and when the roll was called it was
found that it was Tyrker the German who had strayed. Thereat Leif was
sorely troubled, for he loved his foster-father dearly. So he spoke
sternly to his men, reproaching them for their carelessness in letting
Tyrker separate from them, and taking twelve of his men with him he
set out at once to search for his foster-father. But they had not gone far
when, to their great joy, they saw their lost comrade coming towards
them.
"Why art thou so late, oh my foster-father?" cried Leif, as he ran to him.
"Why hast thou gone astray from the others?"

But Tyrker paid little heed to Leif's questions. He was strangely excited,
and rolling his eyes wildly he laughed and spoke in German which no
one understood. At length, however, he grew calmer and spoke to them
in their own language. "I did not go much farther than the others," he
said. "But I have found something new. I have found vines and grapes."
"Is that indeed true, my foster-father?" said Leif.
"Of a certainty it is true," replied Tyrker. "For I was born where vines
grow freely."
This was great news; and all the men were eager to go and see for
themselves the vines which Tyrker had discovered. But it was already
late, so they all returned to the house, and waited with what patience
they could until morning.
Then, as soon as it was day, Tyrker led