stunned upon the deck, blood reddening his colorless face.

"In the Troll's name!" Valbrand swore, after a moment of utter
stupefaction.

Alwin laughed between his teeth at Sigurd's despairing glance, and
waited to feel the steersman's knife between his ribs. Instead, he was
dragged aft to where the chief sat on the deck beside the steering-oar.

Leif was deep in consultation with his shrewd old foster-father. Without
pausing in his argument, he sent an impatient glance over his shoulder;
when it fell upon the gory young madman, he turned sharply and faced the
group.

Alwin was in the mood to suffer torture with a smile. The more
outrageous Valbrand depicted him, the better he was pleased. Leif made
no comment whatever, but sat pulling at his long mustaches and eying
them from under his bushy brows.

When the steersman had finished, he asked, "Is Kark slain?"

Glancing back, Valbrand saw the bowerman sitting up and feeling of his
wounds. "Except a lump on his head, I do not think he is worse than
before," he answered.

"So," said Leif with an accent of relief. "Then it is not worth while to
say much. If he had been killed, his father would have taken it ill; and
that would have displeased Eric and hurt my mission. It would have
become necessary for me to slay this boy to satisfy them. Now it is of
little importance."