"The trolls! First to drive me from my bath and then to throw mud on me!
Poison his bowl, if you love me, Alwin. Ah, what a throw! It is not
likely that you could hit a door. What bondmaids' aiming! Shame!"
Mocking, and dodging this way and that, he gained the welcome shelter of
the sleeping-house.

A rush of big white bodies, a gleam of dampened yellow hair, an outburst
of boisterous merriment, and the camp was swarming with hungry
uproarious giants, who threw shoes at each other and shoved and
quarrelled around the polished shield, before which they parted their
yellow locks, stamping, singing and whistling as they pulled on their
tunics and buckled their belts.

"Leif is coming!--the Lucky, the Loved One!" Helga sang from her booth;
and the din was redoubled with cheering.

"By Thor, it seems to me that he is coming now!" said Valbrand,
suddenly. He had finished his toilet, and sat at the table, facing the
thicket. Every one turned to look, and beheld Leif's thrall-attendant
gallop out of the shadows toward them. No one followed, however, and a
murmur of disappointment went round.

"It is nobody but Kark!"

Kark rose in his stirrups and waved his hand. He was of the commonest
type of colorless blond, and coarse and ignorant of face; but his
manners had the assurance of a privileged character.

"It is more than Kark," he shouted. "It is news that is worth a hearing.