I looked long, and presently caught sight of something white that showed for a moment as we heaved up on a wave, and then was gone.

“Somewhat I saw,” I said, “but it has gone.  It might have been the top of a sail.”

Then I caught a glimpse of it again, and my father saw it also, and, as we watched, it hove up slowly until it was plain to be seen.  The vessel it belonged to was sailing in such a way as to cross our course in the end, though she was only a few points nearer the wind than we were.  It seemed that she was swifter than ourselves, too, from the way she kept her place on our bow.  Now a merchant must needs look on every sail with more or less distrust, as there is always a chance of meeting with ship-plundering Vikings, though the best of them will do naught but take toll from a trader on the high seas.  So before long all our men were watching the stranger, and soon it was plain that she was a longship, fresh from her winter quarters.  We thought, therefore, that she was not likely to trouble about us, having no need of stores as yet, and we being plainly in ballast only.  Nor did she alter her course in any way, but mile after mile she sailed with us, always edging up nearer as she went, until at last we could see the men on her bows and the helmsman at his place.

I thought that one could hardly see a more handsome ship than she was, fresh with new paint, and with her dragon head shining golden in the sun.  But I had seen her before, and that in no pleasant way.  She was the ship of which I have already spoken—­that which we beat off two years ago, taking their cargo of plunder by way of amends for being attacked.

There was this difference, however, at that time, that then we had all our men on board, and the Viking was short-handed after a fighting raid, whereas now we had but fifteen men instead of five-and-twenty, because in the hurry we had not had time to summon any who lived beyond the town, and it was plain that the Viking had a full crew, maybe of sixty men.

“It is in my mind,” my father said to Arngeir, “that our old foe will think twice before he attacks us again; but seeing whom we have to deal with, it is as well to be ready.  We might keep him off with arrows, if he does not find out how few we are, should he make an attempt on us; but if he boards, we must submit, and make the best bargain we can.”

So he passed word that the men were to lie down on deck, leaving only a few to be seen, that the Viking might think us as he had known us before; and then the arms-chests were opened, and the bows and throwing weapons were set to hand by us boys while the men armed themselves.

Then my father spoke to them, saying, “I do not know if this Viking will pass us by as too hard a nut to crack, seeing that he knows of us already; but if he does not, it will be of no use our trying to fight him, as you can see.  I would not waste your lives for naught.  But it may be that a show of force will keep him off, so we will wait under arms until we are sure what he will do.”