“We do what the young jarl does,” he said; “we follow him.”

“The choice was whether you would follow me or not,” answered Heidrek coldly; “I will have no leader but myself.”

Some of his wilder followers cried out now that we were wasting time, and that an end should be made, while a sword or two were drawn among them.  It was the way in which Heidrek’s crew were wont to deal with captives when they had no hope of ransom from them.  That I and my men should join such a crew was not to be thought of, if for a moment I had half wondered if I ought to save the lives of these courtmen of ours by yielding.  Both I and they would be shamed, even as Dalfin had said.

So I made no answer, and Heidrek was turning away with a shrug of his broad shoulders, while the men were only waiting his word to end the affair.  Then Asbiorn, whose face was white and pitying as he looked at us, gripped his father by the arm and faced him.

“I will not have it thus,” he said hoarsely.  “The men are brave men, and it were shame to slay them.  Give them to me.”

Heidrek laughed at him in a strange way, but the men yelled and made a rush at us, sword in hand.  Whereon Asbiorn swung his round shield into place from off his shoulder, and gripped his light axe and faced them.  It was the lightness of that axe which had spared me; but the men knew, and feared it and the skill of the wielder, and they shrank back.

“What, again?” said Heidrek.  “I thought we had settled that question.  What would you with them?”

“That is to be seen.  Let me have them.”

“Pay for them, then,” shouted one of the men.  “They are over and above your share of plunder.”

“Aye,” said Asbiorn at once, “I claim them for my share.  Have them down to the new ship, and set them in the forepeak till I need them.”

Then old Heidrek laughed harshly.

“Faith, I thought the lad a fool,” he said.  “Now I know that he will not be so short-handed as I thought.  Some of you who are his crew will have an easier time at the oar with these slaves to pull for you.”

The men laughed at that, and I knew that the danger was past.  I minded what our man had said at first, how that one might escape from slavery.  And I think that the nearness of death—­though, in truth, not one of us would have shrunk from the steel that was so ready—­had taught me how good a thing life might be even yet.

Most of the men went away, the matter being settled.  Heidrek went also, without another word to his son, and we were left to Asbiorn and a few men of his own crew.  The young chief smiled a little as he looked again at us, but even Dalfin could not smile back again.

“Now,” said Asbiorn, “cast off the lashings from their feet, and let them walk to the ship.  See that they all get there, and set a watch over the place where they are stowed.”

“Are we sailing at once?” a man asked.