The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-03-18

and then plunged headlong into the sea
| at her feet, and as we passed her GRIM
! son blood was spreading in great rec
! pool upon the dark heave Of the smooth
! flowing surf.
I know not whether it were true, as
! some among my comrades thought, that
! that thin old blood split so would bring
us luck, but presently it is true enough
we had another sign, for raven came
flying off from the land and circled
round us and fell into our wake behind
! and as the black wings Of Odin's friend
and messenger went Tapping overhead
! new spirit was born in my fierce crew.
! They stretched their hands to heaven
and shouted with one voice verse
from out the raven war song, then down
they went and with new courage
stretched them to their oars until
the red viking flag streamed bravely
out aston and the shields ratified
joyfully and the water lay in a white
streak along the low-dipping gunwale
Of the old Sea Wolf. Cape and bay and
headland slipped by. We had come into
better peopled country, when on a
sudden Dane who kept our fore-watch
slapped his hand upon his thigh and
cried: a burgh! burgh! and not yet
plundered!" And there, following the
point of his eager finger, We saw, three
miles away, strong hall upon rocky
promontory, with trees and meads about
it green and fair, and sheep upon the
hills and clustering huts below, all
sweet and peaceful. and little harbor
everything, indeed, that could glad
viking heart; and, truly grateful, we
THANKED the bird that had brought US
fortune, and paused in little creek to
wait for nightfall.
All the afttern0Jn the longship lay out
Of Sight in the little cavern bay with
cliffs, green-tasseled with hanging
grasses, nearly meeting overhead, and
below the smooth swell Of the water
heaving the long tangles Of sea grass
and weeds, and idly rehecting the stern
faces and golden mail of that grim crew
on board lolling about upon the deck or
hanging over the loaded bulwark to watch
the shining fishes at play deep down
below. Who would have thought that
pretty shadow listlessly rolling there on
the heave of the wave was bent on such
an errand? It was so still as we lay
screened in the cover that you could
hear the larks singing to themselves
high up in the blue over the cliff grass,
and the bubble and play Of the water in
the crevices of the rocks all round us;
it was 80 Still that presently this mo-
notony grew wearisome to my fierce and
heated spirit. I chafed and turned
and impatiently watched the sun
which seemed as though it would
never set, until at last a happy
idea entered into my head
would 80 and spy this burgh we were to
plunder. see how big and strong it was,
how many men held it and how much
profit we were like to come by in the
venture. With this fancy in my mind
reused my handsome sleepy fellows,
who, at my voice stretched their great
limbs where they had lain sleeping on
the rowers' benches or turned their eyes
from gazing Oh the shining sea to look
on one another and say "ulla is mad!
young Ulla ErlinGson is wholly mad!"
But I pointed out how the madness
would vantage US, how greatly It would
help US to know the lie and nature Of
the hold, how ! could disguise myself SO
that my mother should not know me,
and learn and see all l could and be
back again with them safe and sound,
-or by dangling On a gibbet above tho
highest roof gave them something new
10 fight for"-as Sarp Of Reyr said-bc-
lore the twilight fell.