cave, where she prayed night and day for her son, that he might be
preserved from the malice of his enemies, at whose mercy he and his
comrades lay. At first they thought to have slain him, but one of their
leaders was touched by his glorious beauty, and so he said to the boy,
"Horn, you are a fair stripling and a bold, and when you come to years,
you and your band here, you are like to prove too many for us, so I am
going to put you all in a boat and let it drift out to sea--where may
the gods preserve you, or else send you to the bottom; but, for all our
sakes, you cannot remain here."

Then they led the boys down to the shore, placed them in a little skiff,
and pushed it off from the land. All but Horn wrung their hands in fear.
The waves rose high, and, as the boat was tossed up and down, the lads
gave themselves up for lost, not knowing whither they were driven; but
when the morning of the second day broke, Horn sprang up from where he
sat in the forepart of the skiff, crying, "I hear the birds sing, and I
see the grass growing green--we are at the land!" Then they sprang right
gladly on shore, and Horn called after the boat as it floated away, "A
good voyage to thee, little boat! May wind and wave speed thee back to
Southland. Greet all who knew me, and chiefly the good Queen Gotthild,
my mother. And tell the heathen King that some day he shall meet his
death at my hand."

Then the boys went on till they came to a city, where reigned King
Aylmer of Westland--whom God reward for his kindness to them. He asked
them in mild words whence they came, "for in good sooth," said he,
"never have I seen so well-favoured a company"; and Horn answered
proudly, "We are of good Christian blood, and we come from Southland,
which has just been raided by pagans, who slew many of our people, and
sent us adrift in a boat, to be the sport of the winds and waves. For a