"HAIL FROM THE MAIN THEN COMEST THOU HOME."
Garth Halsen and his father were strolling over the hill that day. The
old Yarl of Broch was always restless during a storm, and never cared
to sit in the house when the elements were at war, "for there is sorrow
on the sea," he would say at such times; "and I cannot rest when I
think some poor souls are fighting for life on the water." As the
father and son walked on they saw Pirate, and he saw them, and made at
once for them, whining in the most distressful manner.
"What dog is that? Why, I've----"
"It's Yaspard's dog," Garth exclaimed; "and he wants us to go with him.
Something has happened, I fear."
They hurried in the direction which Pirate so intelligently indicated,
and he soon led them to where our Viking-boy lay.
By that time Yaspard had revived a little, and was sitting up looking
around in a dazed state, but the cheery voice of old Halsen soon
restored his wits, and he could give an account of what had happened.
"No time to lose, lads," said the Yarl, with all the fire of strong
manhood eager to help the forlorn and weak. "We'll carry you over the
hill between us, boy, and get out the boats."
They swung Yaspard up on their arms and went over the hill at a good
pace, considering the Yarl's age, until they reached a cottage
fortunately not far distant. There our hero was left in the care of
kindly women, while Mr. Halsen and Garth hastened to the nearest
fishing-station and gathered a stout crew.
When Yaspard was reviving under the influence of warm food and a cozy
bed, a sixaern with Mr. Halsen as skipper was speeding round the North
Ness, and appeared before the longing eyes on Swarta Stack like an
angel of deliverance.
"He has done it!" Harry exclaimed. "Yaspard has not met his
great-grand-uncle's fate!"
"How do you know?" Lowrie asked. "It may hae been the dog. It's a
senseful beast."
"Don't you see they are coming straight as an arrow for the Stack?"
answered reflecting Harry. "No doubt in their minds as to where we
are. Now Pirate's arrival and demonstrations could only indicate that
we were in a strait somewhere among the holmes, but only Yaspard's
tongue could tell the identical place where we are."
"Ye're awfully wise!" Lowrie exclaimed with much admiration, which
became qualified when Bill remarked, "Some one may have seen our fire,
or the sail."
"I don't think so," Harry answered. "I have had my eyes on the
hillside over there all the morning, and I'd have seen any person who
came there--unless they were by the creek, which is hidden from us by
the curves of the North Ness."
"Any person _there_ would not see us," said Bill, "so you must be
right. But if Yaspard landed, how is it we did not see him?"
"He would land at the creek, most likely; and the little daal which
leads over the hill from the shore dips under the level of the Ness
hill, so we could not possibly see him. But we shall know all about it
very soon now."
"I'd rather die on Swarta Stack than ken he is in the sea," blubbered
Lowrie, whose fears on Yaspard's account had quite unnerved him.
But what a cheer those boys sent up when the sixaern came close, and
Harry called out "Is Yaspard safe?" and received for answer a joyous
"Yes, yes! he's all right by now."
They shouted and sobbed together, until Tom was recalled from his
half-unconscious state to a knowledge that rescue had come, and
murmured, "I am so glad for their sakes, poor boys!"
The Yarl had not omitted to bring such nourishment as could be most
quickly procured, and as soon as the boat was moored the castaways were
quaffing draughts of milk and devouring oatcakes and butter. Nothing
had ever tasted so sweet to Tom's lips as that milk, and the gentle
voice of Garth Halsen, his cool soft touch, were as good as medicine.
He was carefully conveyed to the boat; the _Osprey_ was safely beached,
high and dry, and loaded with stones to prevent her being buffeted by
the winds again, until such time as she could be removed; and the boys,
with lightened hearts, scrambled into the haaf-boat, carrying with them
all their campaigning effects.
"If Yaspard were here," said Harry, "he would wish to stay by his boat
until he had made her fit to float us off the Stack again. I don't
half like leaving her all by herself, poor old _Osprey_."
"You and your Viking can return and finish up your voyage of discovery
another time," quoth Garth; "but at present you must submit to being
taken to Broch in a commonplace manner."
But the Yarl had been watching Tom, as he lay among coats spread on
grass in the bottom of the boat, and the kind old man's face had grown
more sad and serious every moment.
"I think we must not make for Burra Wick after all," he said. "Much as
I'd like to have you at Broch, I believe we ought to take another
course. This lad should be in his father's hands with as little delay
as possible. So it's Collaster where we will bring up."
And to Collaster they went, after landing Lowrie on the nearest point
of Burra Isle, to carry tidings of them to Yaspard, as well as to Gerta
Brace, who would certainly be alarmed if her uncle did not put in an
appearance that day.
We can imagine the sensation created at the Doctor's house when Tom was
carried there, and the story of his misadventure was told. Harry did
not tell that it was Tom's own fault which brought about the accident,
and it was many a long day before Tom was able to give the full account
of it himself. But we must leave him in the care of his loving mother
and skilful father, content to know that he recovered eventually, and
lived to take a front place in many a wild adventure with his old
antipathy Harry, and his new one Yaspard Adiesen.
Bill carried the news to Wester-voe and Fred Garson, while Gloy took
his cousin Gibbie to Lunda; and Harry asked to return with the Yarl and
Garth to Burra Isle. He wanted above all things to be with Yaspard,
and in his company finish up the adventurous expedition after a more
satisfactory manner than that of being taken home with the wounded.
But Harry did not say a word beyond expressing his eager desire to
return and stand by the Viking-boy.
Next morning the haaf-boat returned to Burra Isle, and at the same time
Fred despatched messengers (Gibbie being one of them) to Boden to
report Yaspard at Broch, "Not much the worse of a ducking, and
returning home as soon as possible."
Fred had got the whole story from Bill, and he rightly conjectured that
the return of the raven would have raised some anxiety, seeing that
Yaspard had told his sister that Thor should bring a message, and Thor
should precede the _Osprey_ by only a few hours. Thor bearing no
message, and followed by no boat, was indeed an ill omen. Moreover, he
had reached home _raven_ously hungry, and in a very sulky, savage mood,
which added to Signy's fears regarding her brother, although Uncle Brüs
pooh-poohed the little girl's presentiment of evil.
But the arrival of Fred's messenger and Gibbie made a commotion in
Boden, we may be sure, and nothing would satisfy either Mr. Adiesen or
James Harrison but they must start off and bring home their boys. You
may imagine their surprise and disgust to hear, on arriving at Broch,
that Yaspard--restored to all his wonted spirit and energy by a good
night's rest--had borrowed a boat, and accompanied by Harry and Lowrie,
and a clever seaman who knew well how to clamp the broken ribs of a
boat, had gone to Swarta Stack to repair and bring home the _Osprey_.
"The boy is stark mad!" exclaimed Uncle Brüs; but the Yarl, whose soul
throbbed in sympathy with that of our Viking-boy, made answer, "His
head is as straight on his shoulders as need be. That lad is made of
the right stuff, and will be heard of in the world some day. You need
not be afraid for him."
"I suppose we ought to go and help him?" the scientist said; but Halsen
shook his head. "Even I," he said, "felt it would be best, kindest, to
let the lads take their own way. They were bent upon bringing back
their boat triumphantly, and they'll do it. Let us leave them all the
satisfaction and glory that they can get out of their adventures."
And I tell you Yaspard's heart glowed with a good deal of satisfaction
when he sailed the _Osprey_ up Burra Wick that afternoon, her flag
flaunting from the mast-head as gaily as when she sailed away on her
voyage of discovery and peril.
Right heartily the good old Yarl and his guests and son cheered the
gallant boy and his comrades, as the boat, a little lob-sided, and
considerably scratched and battered, ran along the crags, and came to
below Broch. Hearty indeed was the welcome they received, and neither
Mr. Adiesen nor Harrison let the boys know that they were there for the
purpose of looking after "those roving madcaps."
In truth Uncle Brüs was not a little proud of his nephew, and made him
repeat the story of his swim with Pirate, which Yaspard did, entirely
unconscious of the heroism he had displayed.
"What did you think most about when you were in the water?" Mr. Adiesen
asked after a time--his scientific instincts rising above emotion, and
prompting him to discover what are the sensations a human being
experiences in such exceptional circumstances.
"I thought of Mam Kirsty's old song, 'My cradle and my grave,' chiefly.
I had committed my life to God's hand when I started. Just before I
landed I thought I saw Signy holding out her hands, as she did when she
went adrift. That's about all."
"Well, my dear, I think you must feel that you have had enough of
Vikinging for the rest of your life," said the scientist with a smile;
but he was not ill-pleased when his nephew answered, "It has only made
me long for more! I want _now_ to do real good Viking work. I want to
go out and explore the world--the stars, if that were possible--and to
fight all the foes of the Red Cross, and to bury all feuds, and win
name and fame like a right noble and right valiant Viking."
"You _have_ done so, if you but knew it," quoth Garth; and Harry
Mitchell said, "You will do all that, I don't doubt; and I'll follow
where your flag leads, old man! I never could stand by the side of a
better comrade, and I don't believe I could ever find a finer
leader--so there!"
"Thank you, Harry," Yaspard answered simply.
I need not tell you of the home-coming to Moolapund, of Aunt Osla's
tears and tea, of Signy's joy, of Thor's profound reflections, finished
up with a sage "Just so!"--of all the talk and enjoyment in fighting
their battles o'er again.
We can leave our Viking-boy at this happy stage of his career, assured
(like the Yarl of Broch) that he was heard of in the world in later
days.
* * * * * *
Transcriber's note:
This e-book contains the words "Boden" and "brodhor". In
the original book, the "o" in "Boden" and the first "o" in
"brodhor" were o-macron.