CHAPTER IX

BEFORE THE CHIEFTAIN


At home let a man be cheerful,
And toward a guest liberal;
Of wise conduct he should be,
Of good memory and ready speech.
Ha'vama'l


In the river, on the city-side, the "Sea-Deer" lay at anchor, stripped
to her hulk, as the custom was. Her oars and her rowing-benches, her
scarlet-and-white sail, her gilded vanes and carven dragon-head, were
all carefully stored in the booths at the camp. With the eagerness of
lovers, her crew rushed down to summon her from her loneliness and once
more hang her finery about her. All day long their brushes lapped her
sides caressingly, and their hammers rang upon her decking. All day long
the ship's boat plied to and fro, bringing her equipments across the
river. All day long Alwin was hurried back and forth with messages, and
tools, and coils of rope.

The last trip he made, Sigurd Haraldsson walked with him across the
bridge and along the city-bank of the river. The young Viking had spent
the day riding around the country with Tyrker, getting prices on a
ship-load of corn. Corn, it seemed, was worth its weight in gold in
Greenland.

"Leif shows a keen wit in taking Eric a present of corn," Sigurd