complain of. The sea rose, and a few rain squalls came up and passed;
but they had no weight in them, and did not keep the waves down as a
steady fall will. And all day long it was the same, and the ship fled
ever before it. There was no thought now of reaching any port we might
wish, but least of all did we think of making the Lindsey shore, which
lies open to the north and east. When the gale broke, we must find
harbour where we could; and indeed; to my father at this time all ports
were alike, as refuge from Hodulf. When darkness came again one of the
wounded men died, and Havelok was yet ill in the after cabin, so that my
mother was most anxious for him. The plunging ship was no place for a
sick child.

Now it was not possible for us to tell how far we had run since we had
parted from the Viking, and all we knew was that we had no shore to fear
with the wind as it was, and therefore nothing but patience was needed.
But in the night came a sudden lull in the gale that told of a change at
hand, and in half an hour it was blowing harder than ever from the
northeast, and setting us down to the English coast fast, for we could
do naught but run before such a wind. It thickened up also, and was very
dark even until full sunrise, so that one could hardly tell when the sun
was above the sea's rim.

I crept from the fore cabin about this time, after trying in vain to
sleep, and found the men sheltering under the break of the deck and
looking always to leeward. Two of them were at the steering oar with my
father, for Arngeir was worn out, and I had left him in the cabin,
sleeping heavily in spite of the noise of waves and straining planking.
Maybe he would have waked in a moment had that turmoil ceased.

It was of no use trying to speak to the men without shouting in their