I looked back at the ships, and they were worth a second glance.  I had never seen such splendid vessels, for they were higher and longer than any which sailed our northern waters, while their lines were clean cut and graceful as those of the little ship which had brought us hither so well—­Thorwald’s favourite cutter.

Now Bertric lifted up his head, for he had been finding his breath again after that last despairing pull, and he looked to the westward and pointed without a word.  Round a great point which barred the view beyond the island came two ships, and their sails were brown.  They were Heidrek’s, and no doubt were looking for their boat.  The men left on the island saw them at about the same time, and lit a fire to show where they were.  They had not gone from the sand hills yet.

“Heidrek is running into danger,” Bertric said grimly.

The enemy hailed again at that moment.  I could hear now that they cried to the ship that we had their boat—­that we were Irish knaves who had stolen it and all that was in it.  It is quite likely that they honestly thought us such, but never wondered why Irishry should seek refuge with these ships.

Now the leading vessel was close on us.  I could hear the hum of the wind in her broad sail and rigging, and the wash of the waves round her sharp bows.  Then a tall young man came and looked at us from her high foredeck, and lifted his hand.  The ship luffed and waited for us.  As we slid alongside into the still water under her lee, he cried to us: 

“Who knows Hakon, and calls on him?”

“An old comrade—­Bertric of Lyme.”

Hakon stared at Bertric under his hand for a moment, and laughed.

“And so it is!” he cried.  “Well met, old friend; but what is that boat astern of you, and why were you in so desperate a hurry?”

“Needs must hurry when the worst pirate in the North Sea is after one.  We have escaped once before from him—­from Heidrek the Seafarer.”

One or two men were beside Hakon, watching us curiously.  One whistled when he heard that name, and spoke quickly to Hakon, who nodded.  Then a line came uncoiling in the air from the ship to us, and across the huddled body of his comrade Phelim caught it, while I lowered the sail.  He made it fast in the bows, and then bent over his brother, setting him more easily against the thwart.  He had not dared shift his place to help him before, lest he should alter the sailing trim of the boat, and that must have been hard for him.

The men took the line astern, and the great ship paid off from the wind.  We swung astern of her, wondering what this meant.  I could hear Heidrek’s men shouting, but I could not see how near they were, for the ship hid them.

The next moment told me.  I saw, as I looked past the long black side of the ship, the bow of the boat come into view.  A man stood up in it with his hand stretched out in a strange way, and I heard a yell.  Then the boat was gone, and past us drifted oars and crushed planking, and a helm floating like an upturned bowl.  She had been run down.