The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-04-10

first tim, the elder man gave back and
| s,lrank from leapiny with clinched
hands against a lcveled blade. His
glance, which had ever been steady and
rs keen as steel when swords were
drawn. changed to Il heavy look, and
he lowered his eyes before the scorn of
his brothers gaze Then as the brute
his better If he Turned away with 4
laugh.
SEQ to the cold northern land. Go
Yourself and shiver between ThOrlin-
da IS arms, he cried out, and strobe
back into the muskv shade.
Once gain the long dragon ship lay
| ready to sail OF her crew some had
! b 'an lost at sea. some had died, and
same had wandered away with savage
maidens far into the inland valleys.
Yet still remnant We're eager to fol-
low Gudmunl homaward. They were
rich with the gold of that land. They
could bay fields and farms in their own
country and pass their old age in peace.
For five days they had been working
hard-Gudmund hardest of all-calk-
ING the seams of the old warship, fill
ING the water casks and victualing her
with the sun dried fish and fruit and
such meat as they could get.
Thorolf, with his dark mistress, had
kept apart. Once the gray helmsman
had talked with Gudmund, proposing
that they should bind his brother in
sleep and carry him abroad, since it
was a shame that hero should thus
be lost. and if they left him the black
people would surely kill him when a
lone among them Gudmund struggled
yi"' the thought. \ wild and anN-
iou, hope had filled his mind. Against
this his duty to Thorolf rose clear and
strong. Yet after all why should he
drag his brother from his happiness!
Surely he could not love Thorlinda.
nor would she love him if she knew.
And he lifted his head and answered,
NV brother has chosen his own way"
Now all things about the ship were
ready for sailing. The crew pushed
her out through the low wash of the
sea. and clambernr over the sides set
tied themselves at their thwartS. Even
as they did so Thorolf came throng the
thickct an walked slowly down the
beach The men lay ON their oars
watching him. Seeing that they paus-
ed. he. too. stood STILL and with his
heel crushed a delicate scashell into the
sand.
"Pull ,men.." said Gudmund and COW
cred his eyes whith his hand
The oars rumbled in the rOwlocks,
but with the first stroke Thorolf threw
his arms above his head, strobe forward
and shouted:
"Stop."
As he ran down the beach dark
skinned girl burst wildly from the
thicke,, shrieked and plunged back
into the shade, then leaped forth again
grasping bow. with a brightly feath
ared arrow drawn to the head. The
Soamen stood upright and shouted.
Gudmund waved his arms and Thorolf
paused and turned only to see his
death. for at that moment the arrow
whistlcd and sank deep into his side.
As he fell Gulmund leapcd into the
water and momeut after knelt beside
him. The dying man frowned tiNedly
at him.
Thorolf"s right hand had gripped
the arrow just above the wound and
broken it short. The blood dripped
steadily between his fingers, blackened
the whit. sand. Thus the two gazed
at each other. nor could all the strength
of natural grief keep back from Gud-
munds eyes Il sparkle of hope and joy.
Thorolfs mouth twitched. His Shud-
dering breath brohe*into Il great sob
that sent blood gu III from the wound.
~ on have Thorlinda. hate you!'
he m oancd thea turn II upon his face,
oaspad one, an II 'ver stirred again
\ blac, autumn afternoon gluomed
abovA the ford. The ocean shivered,
gray and whit, beneath cold, wet
wind that drove the spray far inland
and tore the yellow leaves from bush
and tree. Folk had gathered on tie
hillside, far from the headland the
stormbound fishermen had sightcnd
tail dragon ship driving i'll before the
gale. an there We're many in the
neiyhborhood whose kinSmen had sail
ed in such ship with the two brothers
more than four years ago.
Now the watchers could s,e her
plainly. rolling and wet ring in the
angry sHaway. the spray breaking
| in sheets above her. Storm battered
she locke I, and her crew were few, yet
they raised shout as she lurched past
the hcadland and staggered up the
ford And now they let the sail 90
| with Il rum Now with a rush and
| surge of wat II about her brow the ship
| took ground at the beach, and the
seaman leaprd over her bows, waist
! deep, to be kissel and thronged about