"What dwarfs made that armour?" demanded the other, holding a cloth to
his wounded limb.

"Ten dwarfs welded it, ten dwarfs tempered it, and the same ten guard
the wearer. Thou best shouldst know what five of them can do," and Ulf
smiled grimly as he held up his hand with outspread fingers.

"Now it is thy turn. Who art thou?"

"Leif is my name," said the other, "and Eric the Red is my father. To
the West have I been sailing, searching for a land with lumber for
ship-building. Now am I homebound. Come thou with me and thou shalt be
as my brother; for a good spearman art thou as ever sailed the seas;
and afterward we will sail together."

"I like it well," said Ulf, frankly, "and homeward will I go with
thee"--for that was sea-politeness then. So they set a new course by
the stars that night and before Leif's arm had ceased to tingle they
saw the black walls of rock that guarded the entrance to his haven.

Many a night in after years Ulf lay awake and watched the stars,
thinking the while of his visit to Greenland and of all that came of
it. A mighty man of his hands was Leif. In sheer strength no two in
both ships were his match in a close wrestle. None could strike a
keener blow. Yet was he hugely delighted when, one afternoon in
friendly fray, Ulf again and again slipped within his guard and with a
lithe writhe of his slender form twined a bear's hug around his bulky
friend and dashed him earthward. And to give Ulf one spear's length
advantage in a hot scurry across country was never to come up with him