The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1897-09-18

where, and thus, ! soy, ten years had
passed, and presently still another
spring came round and we had eaten oil
oaar vlAtar pnovisions and were weary Of
last years concubines, and rusty with
basking by winter fires and yearnful
for the breath Of the froe ocean, or tho
yet dearer breath OF adventure. and
thus one day went down 10 the strand
where my good ship lay hauled up and
tented over against the storm and snow,
to see the work that Skaun the car
penter and Vedrey of the brushes had
done upon her. And as walked about
that gallant hulk my blood took new
color and beat quicker measure than
1t had done for long, while the winter
sloth dropped from me and the hunger
Of the rover for quest and danger was
born anew in my heart. A better skeld
never was steered By seq kings son.
I thought Her sides were blue-blue
as last winters Ice in the shadows Of
June-rlght up from the water edge to
the high gunwalc. while inside the
Trondhjom forest oak was secured as
white as maiden's linen. The tall
mast In the center was slim and straight
as an arrow, and on either side were
rowlock holes for sixty oars. A lovely
vanished her until her cllnker sides
shone like the back OF a new caught SAL
mon, and had carved and gilded every
oar hole with golden scroll OF twisting
serpents, and here and there and every
where had been at work 80 deftly that
1t was days wonder to explore the
workings OF the loving zeal wherewth
he had adorned the vessel from glitter
ing stem to stern. And Skaun had seen
to every peg and sinew that laced her
shapely sides; he had been aft and for
ward; above, below; had scraped the
oars and set new seats for rowers, and
caulked afresh each seam with red COW.
hair and resin-oh, O lovely ship, In
deed, and In my pride surely thought
such q one never stood on mortal slips
before. Once more would venture .
cast with fortune, and In q burst OF
pleasure and such life as had lain asleep
too long within my heart vowed then
and there to start on foray before
three days were over. And, hot In the
revulsion Of my feelings, set skaun
and Vedrey running here and there as
they had never run before, and collected
some Of the lazy.boned vllleins who had
basked In my porch and snored by my
pine wood fire all through the snow and
frost, and made them work as they had
not worked for many day.
Under our busy hands the beautiful
winter hulk put on her war gear aud
blossomed like o summer tree. We
fetched out her sixty great oais. Feet
Of the Sea- woli," OF ash -four men sat
ct EACH and strapped them into their
painted rowlock holes. Then we slung
In the landing boats and set the great
rudder aft on the starboard; we put the
black leather tent on board, and under
1t the hudfat sleeping bags to shield me
and my Jolly pillagers from the English
many were the white feet OF captive
girls We hoped would tread them-and
a hundred stout rollers In case our
longship needed to be beached. Then
we put In the arms chest and filed II to
the brim with gllstening swords and
axes, praying all the time to Odin that
their shine might be dimmed ere we re-
turned; we put the brass kettles on
board, and the provisions, and barrels
OF water with little lids. Next we set
up the tall mast that shone In it's winter
coat Of bears grease and was so red
and straight, and hoisted to tho spar
the great square sail, CLOAK OF the
Wind" 1t was the great jarl Kand Of
viskerdal, my foster brother, who gave
me that sheet, and II was colored blue
and white and made OF wooden stuff as
soft as silk. Lastly OF all the gllsten-
ing dragon head was put upon the prov.
and the warriors shields, black and
yellow, each overlapping each, were set
along the bulwarks, and there, flashing
In the sun with a hundred colors, beau |
tiful and complete from stem 10 stern,
my sea bride sat shining on the ways!
So we'll had we worked that the dawn
OF the second day from my vow we were
ready, and half the valley came to see
us OF. All went well with the launch.
ing and In afew minutes after the props
were Knocked away we slid out into the
ford and 6oated true and straight, and
at the same instant my five score fight
ing men set up the hymn to Odin, the
call was spread, and the long oars be-
gan to dip, swift and strong, into the
merry water that ran ripplins by us.