Arthur D. Howden Smith

“ The Sudreyarman was so overcome by his rage that the words spat from his lips with the hissing intonation of an angry cat.
"This is a rich reward for faithful friendship and loyal service!" he snarled. "It will make a brave tale, Swain. Men will speak enviously of you, as of one who takes all and gives nothing, who delights in appropriating for himself that which his friend desires! You may succeed now. You may take Ingrid—and much joy may you have of her, the ——! The last man who has her ear is the one she will follow. ”

“ Deathbringer leads the way. Ravens throng the sky."
A shout rose from the crowded longships, the deep, booming voices of the Orkneymen mingling with the shriller tones of Holdbodi's people and the Manfolk.
"Lead on, Swain! We follow."
"But will Olvir stand to it?" clamored young Jarl Harald excitedly. "Will he stand to it when he sees us, Swain?"
Swain laughed shortly.
"He will stand to it, for we will carry it to him wherever he stands. Erik, get you aboard one of your dragons. I look to you to keep the Manfolk in line. Every sword counts." ”

“ I detest all women, but most of all these soft-handed, long-haired, crooning creatures!"
"She is no fresh bower-maiden," rejoined Erik, slyly amused. "Come and see her. She bids you ashore, by me, and wishes to have you and your people for her guests so long as you will tarry."
"We will tarry as long as suits us," rasped Swain; "but not to see her. I came here to find Olvir Rosta. When I get news of whither he is gone, I shall be off after him."
"No one will seek to stop you," said Erik. "Let viking hew viking, the Manfolk say."
"Why should you speak for them?"
"I am Ingrid's steward." ”

“ Swain laughed.
"Ask me why the whaups fly northward, mother. The viking-fever kindles in our blood. There is not a man on Gairsey does not hunger for oar rattle and the grip of a thirsty sword. No, no, the Spring planting is done; the fields lie fallow. What should we do if we bided idly at home?"
She gave him a curious glance.
"Take a maid to wife, perhaps."
Swain laughed again.
"A wife? What should I do with a wife? Women are—I'll say no more, for you are woman. But saving you I know none I'd give bower-room to." ”

“ What had been an ordered battle, men fighting shield to shield in regular formation, became a scattered affair of individual and group combats. Swain, himself, gathered a dozen men who were nearest to him, and strove to carry the fight to the enemy, hewing through their ranks in an effort to come up with Olvir, who was raging across the hilltop, scattering death with his huge ax. ”

“ But I am of no mind to present the Manfolk with a viking fleet for the taking."
"You are a forehanded man," commented Erik, who was standing by, in his dry way; "but you concern yourself to no purpose."
"Touching this Lady Ingrid," spoke up Holdbodi, moistening his lips with a large tongue; "if she be in the mood for marriage, it might be wise for us to humor her. Here are broad lands to be warded and much wealth to be secured."
"We are not a bridal party," reproved Swain harshly. "We are the executors of vengeance." ”

“ At his back walked Gunni, Holdbodi and young Jarl Harald, quivering with interest in his first venture, and Thorar Asgrim's son and Leif Anakol's son, the captains of Jarl Rognvald's two longships.
They tramped over a bridge of planks across the ditch, and passed the earthen walls into a wide open space, aglow with fires, where oxen were roasting slowly and huge kegs of ale stood open for the horn. Directly in their path stood a single figure, a woman, at sight of whom Swain's lips curled and his clutch tightened upon the haft of the spear that was close to Erik's back. ”

“ He may have need of them at home."
"That may be true of Thorar and Leif and their men," clamored Jarl Harald; "but there is no reason why I should not remain with you, Swain. Jarl Rognvald gives me no share in governing the islands, and here I can learn far more with you."
Swain smiled, for he had much love for the boy.
"No, no," he said. "I can not take on myself the responsibility of guarding your head as well as my own. Man will be no place for young jarls to learn war-making and statecraft while I am here. You go home with Thorar and Leif." ”

“ Swain looked forward to a peaceful Winter, sitting about the hearthfire with his chiefs, talking over old times and raids and fights and listening to Erik's recitation of sagas and wise sayings. He was a very restless, domineering man, fond of his will in all things, and he liked the sensation of being ruler of his own dominions, for friendly as he was at home in the Orkneys with Jarl Rognvald there had been times when it irked him to admit the suzerainty of another. Here in Man his word was law; people did what he bade them without question or suffered the consequences. ”

“ And Gunni stood to the last on Seabroth's poop. Only you fled from me, you whose sole vengeance has been to burn Frakork, my mother, an old woman."
"And a foul witch," replied Swain with heat. "It ill becomes you to talk of running, you who feared to meet me alone in Deathbringer, ship to ship, after the fight off Jarlsness. There never was a time, Olvir, when you would fight any man with equal numbers. You must always come by stealth in the dark."
There was a kiss-ss-s in the fog, and a spear clanged into Swain's shield. ”

“ Erik granted him a reluctant glance of admiration as she scuttled away into the shadows.
"Ho, you are no boaster, Swain. But mark me, marriage she will have, so you may as well single out him of your company you like least or best, eh?"
"A man might do worse than wed with such a fair woman," pressed Holdbodi. "Here are broad lands and——"
"You have said that before," snarled Swain. "I will not have it! Do you see? I will not have it. Tomorrow we sail hence after Olvir. Then battle. After battle— Let the ravens croak their answer!"
"The ravens will answer," agreed Gunni. ”

“ Swain cut him short.
"So will we," Gunni affirmed after him.
"Yes, yes," muttered the other chiefs.
"Enough of talking," said Swain. "Loose your swords, and we will climb to the skalli. Erik, you guide us, and my spear splits your neck if there is sign of treachery."
"It is you who waste words," snapped Erik. "Do I look like one who would invite a spear in my back?"
So they climbed the foreshore to the upland, and came to Stikleborg, which had been the strong place of Ingrid's husband and in which she now dwelt. It was a steading richer even than Jarl Rognvald's at Orphir. ”

“ The man who hesitates I will impale alive. Put your backs into it. Do you call this effort? Row, I say! Shall I beat you with my sword? Row!"
They were all freeborn men, but none answered, nor did a single oar slip in its work; but try as they might they could not gain upon Olvir's lighter dragons, which in such a sea were easier to drive. Then, as they came to the end of the headland, the wind veered again and blew from the northeast, and Olvir's sails were raised to catch it.
"Up sail!" growled Swain. "If they can outgrow us, perhaps we can outsail them." ”

“ If she bleats—as I do not think she will—we'll drown her cries with the shield-rattling. But married she shall be before the sun sets tonight."
Ingrid leaped lithely from her seat and stretched out her arms toward Swain.
"This is the mating a woman craves, Swain!" she cried. "To be seized by a strong man, whether she wills it or not. To be torn from one man by a stronger! Ah, my viking, Ingrid of Man will be worthy of you!" ”

“ The man with Jarl Harald was a bandy-legged fellow, very swarthy in the face,and he had a cast in one eye; but his clothing and armor proclaimed him a chief. He bowed low to Jarl Rognvald, and addressed himself to Swain, although it was difficult always to be sure which way he was looking, on account of his cast eye.
"I see that my luck has changed," he said, "for I have found Swain Olaf's son easier than I expected to."
"All men do not count themselves lucky to meet Swain Olaf's son," returned Swain, frowning. "Who are you?" ”

“ The swine! Yes, Jarl Rognvald was right. Beware of the Sudreyarmen. If they are not treacherous, they think only of themselves."
V SWAIN was met on the beach at Stikleborg by Thorar and Leif. Erik was with them, and all the surviving Orkneymen, a considerable number.
"It is to be seen that you had ill luck, Swain," said Erik.
"I have been out of favor with the gods in recent days," returned Swain. "But ill luck some day must become good luck." ”

“ The forecastle was dense with spearmen and archers. Overhead the sun shone brightly, and the wind thrummed like a skald picking at harpstrings in the cordage and the huge, straining hollow of the sail.
Gradually, as they drew nearer, Olvir's fleet formed into a sort of hasty order. The four dragons, two of twenty-four and two of twenty oars, became its nucleus. On either side of them clustered a pack of barges and fishing-boats, small in size, but overflowing with men; and they surged forward, using their oars perforce, as the wind was against them. ”

“ Ingrid was quieter and less sullen than her wont after Swain's return home; and she did not, as she had the year before, oppose objections to moving from Stikleborg. Erik commented upon this several nights after their arrival at the steading, but Swain laughed at him.
"The Irish cat has learned her lesson," he said. "We have no trouble with her any longer."
Erik wagged his head solemnly.
"What did I say before?" he returned. "A woman raises children or trouble."
"She has children to raise," answered Swain. ”

“ We shall be at Orphir three days hence, Lord Jarl, and with your permission will sail the day following."
Jarl Rognvald smiled at Holdbodi.
"There was never a man for hurrying like Swain," he observed. "When he has a notion in his head there is no room for anything else. Well, well, we will get along without him as well as we can."
"And I will give orders to have the sheds removed from your longships, Rognvald," offered young Jarl Harald. "We must not be behind Swain here at Orphir." ”

“ Where should I find a better opportunity to become a warrior than upon such an expedition?"
"It is an unusually good opportunity to lose your head," responded Swain. "Olvir is a skilled warrior, and— You say he has two longships with him, Holdbodi?"
"He had when he came to Liodhus," answered the Sudreyarman; "but men said he was for heading southward to Man and the west coast of Bretland, [3] and there is not knowing how many masterless men and rovers he may win there to his standard."
"Holdbodi says truly," counseled Jarl Rognvald. "Depend upon it, Swain, Olvir will wax strong this Spring. ”

“ Late that night the abbess of the nunnery on the adjoining island, the most remote establishment of religion in all the world, was called to her gate by a party of helmed vikings, whose heavy tread and clashing weapons sent a shiver of dread from end to end of her house. To her Swain explained his needs.
"This woman is my wife. She is a bad woman. She is a source of trouble for men. She is vain and wicked and selfish, and she thinks only of herself. ”

“ They came to Stikleborg, and weary as they all were with marching and fighting, Swain bade run out Deathbringer and two other longships, loaded them full of men, with necessary provender, and headed southeast for Lund with a favoring wind. ”

“ X SWAIN sold his lands in Man, together with all the rights pertaining to them, to a Bretland Jarl, and with such of the Manfolk as cared to share his lot and his own housecarls and his two sons he went north in that Autumn to the Orkneys.
"I am no man to dwell an outlander," he said to Jarl Rognvald who welcomed him gladly. "And I would rather be a plain boendr in the Orkneys than King in Man, for a man savors the true zest of life only among his own kind." ”

“ For the next few years Swain remained at home, improving his lands and purchasing additional property in Caithness and Hrossey. All men who came to him he received into his employ. At Gairsey he maintained eighty housecarls at his own expense, and he reared upon his estate here a drinking-hall larger than any other in the North, where the mead bowl and the ale-barrel stood free and open from Winter's beginning to Winter's end. He had much honor, sitting always between Jarl Rognvald and Jarl Harald when they dispensed justice, and his sons grew into sturdy lads. ”

“ You are past your green youth, yet you have never gotten sons to protect your lands after you are gone. That is foolish, Swain. You are the richest man without title in the North; but if you and your brother Gunni die your property will be divided among the most powerful bidders for it. ”

“ But if you will beach your longships and lodge with us a while at Stikleborg, the Lady Ingrid will send out scouts to endeavor to learn where Olvir has gone. He will not go far because he has joined forces with Hrodbjart, [13] who is a Bretlander who lives outside the law on his own account, and they plan to ravage all this part of the world between them and bring it under their sway."
"Humph," said Swain. "What sort of woman is this Lady Ingrid? Has she means?"
"She has Man, which is a very rich island," answered Erik. ”

“ Swain shook his head.
"I have sufficient lands for two sons, but if I had more they would be fighting amongst themselves."
"A woman must raise children or trouble," warned Erik.
"I will take care that she is harmless," rejoined Swain.
In truth, Ingrid was so occupied with her twins that she was less trouble than she had ever been, and Swain went viking cruising in late Summer with Jarl Rognvald's men, who had come south in three dragons, young Jarl Harald commanding his own. ”