“That old heathen at the steering-oar!  All the bad luck in the world may be expected!”—­” Nowhere lives a man more domineering than Eric the Red.”  “What is to become of Leif’s renown, if the glory is to go to that old pagan?”—­“Skroppa has turned a curse against the Lucky One.  He has been deprived of his mind.”

“It is in my mind that part of that is true,” Rolf said thoughtfully, leaning on the spear-shaft he was sharpening.  “I believe the Saxon Saints’ Book has bewitched his reason.  From that, I have heard the Englishman read of men who gave up honor lest it might make them vain.  I believe Leif Ericsson is humbling his pride, like some beaten monk.”

He was interrupted by a chorus of disgust.  “Yah!  If he has become such a woman as that !”—­“A man who fears bad luck.”—­“A brave man bears the result of his action, whatever it is.”—­” The Saints’ Book is befitting old men who have lost their teeth.”—­“Christianity is a religion for women.”

Sigurd struck in for the first time.  Although he had been frowning with vexation, some touch of compunction had held him silent.  “I will not allow you to say that, nor should you wish to speak so.”  He hesitated, rubbing his chin perplexedly.  “I acknowledge that I experience the same disgust that you do; yet I am not altogether certain that we are right.  I remember hearing my father say that what these saints did was more difficult than any achievement of Thor.  And I have heard King Olaf Trygvasson read out of the Holy Book that a man who controls his own passions is more to be admired than a man who conquers a city.”

For perhaps two or three minutes there was a lull in the grumbling.  But it was not to be expected, in that brutal age, that moral strength should find a keen appreciation.  Indeed, Sigurd’s words were far from ringing with his own conviction.  Little by little, the discontent broke out again.  At last it grew so near to mutiny, that the steersman felt called upon to exercise his authority.

“All this is foolishly spoken, concerning something you know nothing of.  Undoubtedly Leif has an excellent reason for what he does.  It may be that he considers it of the greatest importance to secure Eric’s friendship.  Or it may be that he intends to lead him into some uninhabited place, that he may kill him and get rid of his ill-temper.  It is certain that he has some good reason.  Go back to your work, and make your minds easy that now, as always, some good will result from his actions.”

The men still growled as they obeyed him; but however right or wrong he was regarding Leif’s motives, he was proved correct in his prophecy.  Out of that moment on shore, came the good of a complete reconciliation with Eric.  No more were there cold shoulders, and half-veiled gibes, and long evenings of gloomy restraint.  No longer were Leif’s followers obliged to sit with teeth on their tongues and hands on their swords.  The warmth of gratification