CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.
THE END OF AN OLD SEA-KING.
Haldor the Fierce said nothing when he heard Alric's blithe voice in thecavern, but he caught him up in his arms, and gave him a hug that almostmade him cry out.
"Why, father, what ails thee?" asked the boy in surprise, when Haldorset him free.
"Never mind, lad," interposed Erling, "but lend a hand to keep Kettle inorder. He is a little wild just now, and as I intend to leave him inthy charge we must restrain him a bit. Hand me that rope."
The boy obeyed in silence, but with much wonder depicted on his facewhile Erling lashed Kettle's hands together, and, lifting him in ahalf-unconscious state into his ship, bound him in as comfortable aposition as he could, to one of the rowers' banks.
"Now, Alric, come aside with me, quick! I have only time for a fewwords. It is enough to tell thee that the day is lost. I go with ourfather and the men to save our mother and the other women, or to die.Thou wilt stay here with a few men to guard the ships, and be ready tocast off at a moment's notice. If we return not before night, do thoucreep out and try to ascertain what has become of us, and if ye havereason to think we are killed, cut Kettle's bonds and let him do what hewill, poor fellow. At present his head has got a knock that renders hima dangerous comrade, so he must remain tied. Of course, if the cave isattacked thou wilt set him free at once. There is a little boat at thestern of my Swan. Escape if thou canst. But be watchful. We mayreturn in a few hours. If so, all shall yet be well. Dost understandme, boy?"
"I do, but methinks ill luck awaits us."
Erling made no reply, but, kissing Alric's forehead, he returned to hismen, of whom there were about sixty, and led them out of the cave,leaving six with his little brother to guard the ships.
While our hero is thus hastening to the rescue, let us turn aside for alittle to follow the course of Guttorm Stoutheart. That brave oldSea-king had escaped scathless throughout the whole of the disastrousday until near the end, when he received his death-wound from a javelinwhich pierced his thigh, and cut some important blood vessel, to stanchwhich defied the skill of his attendants. He immediately ordered hisship to be cut loose, and his was among the first to escape round thesouthern point of the fiord, just before the battle ended.
At first the men pulled as if their lives depended on it. So great wastheir haste that they did not take time to throw their dead comradesoverboard, but left them lying in a ghastly heap on the lower deck.When, however, they got round the next point, and found that no pursuitwas made, they slackened speed and began to heave out the dead, whenGuttorm, who reclined near the helm, steering the vessel, ordered themto desist.
"My men," said he, in a voice which had already lost much of its deeprichness of tone, "we will land on the next point. My days are run out.I go to Odin's halls, and I am glad, for it becomes not an old warriorto die in his bed, which I had begun to fear was going to be my fate;besides, now that Norway is to be no longer a free land, it is time thatthe small kings should be going home. Ye will carry me to the top ofyonder headland cliff, and leave me where I can see the setting sun, andthe fords and fells of my native land. Would that my bones might havebeen burned, as those of my fathers were! but this may not be. Ye canlay beside me the comrades who have gone before, and then push off andleave me with the dead."
There was a low murmur among the men as they again dipped their oars,but not a word was spoken in reply. Just as they reached the point avessel came in sight behind them under sail.
"Too late!" muttered Guttorm bitterly, as he looked back; "we arepursued, and must hold on."
"Not so," answered one of his chief men; "that is Solve Klofe's ship."
"Is that so?" cried Guttorm, while the colour mounted to his pale cheek,and the fire shone in his old eyes; "then have I better luck than I hadlooked for. Quick, get to land! The breeze that brings Solve down willreach us soon. Get out your arms, and go hail Solve as he passes. Yeshall sail with him to-night. I will hie me out upon the sea."
He spoke somewhat like his former self for a moment, but soon his voicesank, for the life-blood was draining fast away.
Ere many minutes had passed, the breeze freshened into a squall ofconsiderable force. It came off the land, and swept down the fiord,lashing its waters into seething waves. Solve answered the hail ofGuttorm's men, and landed.
"What news?" he asked: "there is but short space for converse."
The men told him that old Guttorm was dying in his ship. He walked upthe plank that lay from the shore to the gunwale, and found the oldwarrior lying on the poop beside the helm, wrapped in his mantle, andgiving directions to his men, who were piling brushwood on the deck.
"This is an ill sight," said Solve, with much feeling, as he kneltbeside the dying chief, who received him with a smile, and held out hishand.
"Ha! Solve, I am glad thou art here. My last battle has been fought,and it has been a good one, though we did get the tooth-ache. If it hadonly been a victory, I had recked little of this wound."
"Can nothing be done for thee?" asked Solve. "Perchance I may be ableto stop the bleeding."
Guttorm shook his head, and pointed to the blood which had alreadyflowed from him, and lay in a deep pool in the sides of the ship.
"No, no, Solve, my fighting days are over, and, as I have said, the lastfight has been a good one! Ye see what I am about, and understand howto carry out my will. Go, relieve me of the trouble, and see that it isdone well. I would rest now."
Solve pressed the hand of his friend in silence, and then went forwardto assist actively in the preparations already referred to. The menheaped up the funeral pile round the mast, fastened the stern ropes tothe shore, plied the dead upon the deck, and, when all was ready,hoisted sail. The squall had increased so that the mast bent, and theship strained at her stern ropes like an impatient charger. Then themen went on shore, and Solve, turning to Guttorm, bent over him, andspoke a few words in a low, earnest tone, but the old man's strength wasalmost gone. He could only utter the single word "Farewell", and wavehis hand as if he wished to be left alone. Solve rose at once, and,applying a light to the pile, leaped ashore. Next moment the cableswere cut; the brushwood crackled with a fierce noise as the fire leapedup and the "ocean steed" bounded away over the dark blue sea. Guttormwas still seated by the helm, his face pale as death, but with a placidsmile on his mouth, and a strange, almost unearthly, fire in his eyes.
The longship rushed over the waves with the foam dashing on her bows, along white track in her wake, and a dense black cloud curling overhead.Suddenly the cloud was rent by a fork of flame, which was as suddenlyquenched, but again it burst upwards, and at last triumphed; shooting upinto the sky with a mighty roar, while below there glowed a fierce fieryfurnace, against which was strongly depicted the form of the grand oldSea-king, still sitting motionless at the helm. Swiftly the blazingcraft dashed over the waves, getting more and more enveloped in smokeand flame. Ere long it could be seen in the far distance, a rushingball of fire. Gradually it receded, becoming less and less, until atlast it vanished, like a setting star, into the unknown waste of thegreat western sea.