TAKING POSSESSION OF THE NEW HOME, AN EVENT WHICH IS CELEBRATED BY AN
EXPLOSION AND A RECONCILIATION.
Every one knows--at least a well-known proverb assures us--that "early
to bed and early to rise" conduces to health, wealth, and wisdom. The
Norsemen of old would appear to have been acquainted with the proverb
and the cheering prospect it holds out; perhaps they originated it; at
all events, that they acted on it, and probably experienced the happy
results, is evident from the fact that Karlsefin and his men not only
went to bed in good time at night--as related in the last chapter--but
were up and doing by daybreak on the following morning.
Having roused the women, relieved the sentinels, struck the tents, and
carried everything safely on board the _Snake_, they manned the oars, or
large sweeps, with the stoutest of the crew, and prepared to row their
vessel up the river into the lake on the shores of which they designed
to fix their future home. Previous to this, however, a party of men
were told off to remain behind and cut up the whale, slice the lean
portions into thin layers, and dry them in the sun for winter use.
"See that you make a good job of it," said Karlsefin to Swend, who was
left behind as the leader of the whale-party--because he was fat, as
Krake said, and, therefore, admirably suited for such work--"and be
careful not to let sand get amongst the meat. Cut out the whalebone
too, it will be of use to us; and don't forget that there may be enemies
lurking in the woods near you. Keep your windward eye uncovered, and
have your weapons always handy."
Swend promised to attend to these orders, and, with twenty men, armed
with axes, scythes, and large knives, besides their swords, shields,
bows and arrows, stood on the ness and cheered their comrades as they
rowed away.
The force of the current was not great, so that the _Snake_ made rapid
progress, and in a few hours reached the place where the small stream
forked off from the main river. This they named Little River. Above
that point the current was more rapid, and it became necessary to send a
large party of men on shore with a tracking-rope, by means of which and
the oars they at last overcame all obstacles, and finally swept out upon
the bosom of the beautiful sheet of water which had afforded such
delight to the eyes of the two Scots.
"Here, then, we have got _home_ at last," said Karlsefin, as they rowed
over the still water to a spit, or natural landing-place, near Leif's
old booths.
"It is very beautiful," said Gudrid, "but I find it difficult to call it
home. It seems so strange, though so pleasant."
"You were always difficult to please, Gudrid," said Freydissa; "surely
you don't think Greenland--cold, windy, bleak, nasty Greenland--a better
home than this?"
"Nay, sister, I made no comparison. I did but say that it seemed
strange, and I'm sure that Bertha agrees with me in that--don't you,
Bertha?"
"Indeed I do," replied the maiden; "strange the land is, but beautiful
exceedingly."
"Of course she'll agree with what _you_ say," cried Freydissa, testily.
"I would that she agreed as readily with me. It is a wonder that she is
not weeping, as she is always so ready to do on the smallest
provocation, or without any provocation at all."
"I only wept on leaving my father," remonstrated Bertha with a winning
smile. "I'm sure you have not seen me shed a tear since then. Besides,
I do agree with you in this case, for I think Vinland will be a pleasant
home. Don't you too?" she added, turning round to Thora, who had been
standing at her side, but Thora had moved away, and her place had been
taken by Hake, the Scot.
Bertha blushed on meeting the youth's gaze, and the blush deepened when
Hake said in a quiet undertone, that Vinland could not but be a pleasant
home to him, and added that Greenland, Iceland, Norway,--anywhere,--
would be equally pleasant, if only _she_ were there!
Poor Bertha was so taken aback by the cool and sudden boldness of this
unexpected reply, that she looked hastily round in alarm lest it had
been overheard; but Hake, not intending that it should be overheard, had
addressed it to her ear, and fortunately at the moment the grating of
the keel upon the pebbly shore drew the attention of all to the land.
"Now, then, jump ashore, lads," cried Biarne, "and get out the gangway.
Make it broad, for our cattle must not be allowed to risk their limbs by
tumbling off."
While Biarne superintended the gangway, Thorward prepared the live stock
for their agreeable change, and Karlsefin went up to examine the state
of the huts. They were found to be in excellent condition, having been
well built originally, and the doors and windows having been secured
against the weather by those who had used them last.
"No natives can have been here," observed the leader of the party to
those who accompanied him, "because every fastening is secured,
apparently, as it was left."
"Nevertheless, Sigrid and I have seen footprints in the sand," remarked
the woman Gunhild, coming up at that moment.
"Show them to me," said Karlsefin, with much interest.
"Yonder they are," replied the woman, pointing towards a sandy spot on
her left, "and he who made them must have been a giant, they are so
large."
"Truly, a dangerous giant to meet with," observed Karlsefin, laughing,
when he reached the place, "these are none other, Gunhild, than the
footprints of the bear that the two Scots sent away with the toothache.
But come, we will open these huts and have them put in order and made
comfortable against supper-time. So, get to work all of you and see how
active you can be."
While some of the party were busily engaged in sweeping out and
arranging the huts, others shouldered their axes and went into the woods
to cut down a few dead trees for firewood, and when the gangway between
the ship and the shore was completed the live stock was driven on shore.
There was something quite impressive in this part of the landing. There
was a deliberate slowness in the movements of most of the animals that
gave to it quite the air of a solemn procession, and must have been a
good illustration, on a small scale, of the issuing of the beasts from
Noah's Ark on the top of Ararat!
The first creature which, appropriately enough, led the van, was a
lordly black bull. Little Olaf, whose tastes were somewhat peculiar,
had made a pet of this bull during the voyage, and by feeding it,
scratching it behind the ears, patting its nose, giving it water, and
talking to it, had almost, if not altogether, won its affections. He
was therefore permitted to superintend the landing of it.
"Come, get on, Blackie," cried Olaf, giving the bull a push on the flank
as it stood on the gangway with its head high, tail slightly raised,
nostrils expanded, and eyes flashing. It glanced from side to side as
if to take a general survey of its new domains.
Olaf advised it to "get on" again, but Blackie deigned to take no
further notice than by a deep-toned internal rumbling.
"Not unlike Mount Hecla when it is going to explode," said Biarne,
laughing.
"Come back, boy, he will do you a mischief," cried Gudrid in some alarm.
"Why, Olaf," said Karlsefin, "your pet is going to be disobedient.
Speak louder to him."
Instead of speaking louder Olaf quietly grasped the brute's tail and
gave it a twist.
The effect was wonderful and instantaneous. The huge animal rushed
wildly along the gangway, leaped across the beach, making the pebbles
fly as he went, scampered over the green turf and plunged into the
forest, kicking up his heels, flourishing his tail and bellowing in
frantic delight!
Most of the cows went slowly and placidly along the gangway, and landed
with easy-going satisfaction expressed in their patient faces, to the
supreme contempt of Freydissa, who said she wished that they had all
been bulls. There was one young heifer amongst them, however, which
proved an exception to the rule. It glared savagely round, as if in
imitation of the bull, refused point-blank to land, swerved from side to
side of the gangway, backed right into the ship at the risk of its neck
and limbs, attempted to charge the men, created dire confusion and alarm
among the poultry, and finally fell off the gangway into the water, and
scrambled on shore in a way that must have thrilled Freydissa's heart
with admiration--although she did not say so, but maintained a grim
silence all the time.
Next came the sheep, which, owing perhaps to sea-sickness, or
home-sickness, or some other cause, looked remarkably sheepish, and
walked on shore with as much solemnity as if each had been attending the
funeral of the rest. There were about twenty of these, and after them
came a dozen or so of Icelandic ponies, which, although somewhat more
active than the sheep, were evidently suffering in their spirits from
the effects of the recent voyage. One of them, however, on feeling the
soft turf under his feet, attempted to neigh, without much success, and
another said something that sounded more like a horse-laugh than
anything else.
Then followed the fowls, some of which walked, some flew, and others
fluttered, according to their varying moods, with an immense deal of
fuss and cackling, which was appropriately capped by the senior cock
mounting on one of the huts and taking possession of the land with an
ecstatic crow.
The procession was brought up by the ducks, which waddled out of the
ship, some with an expression of grave surprise, some with "quacks" of
an inquiring nature, others with dubious steps and slow, while a few,
with an eye to the "main chance" made ineffectual dabs at little
roughnesses in their pathway, in the hope that these might turn out to
be edible.
At last all were landed and driven up into the woods, where they were
left without any fear being entertained as to their going astray, seeing
that they were guarded by several fine dogs, which were too much
associated with the men as companions to be included in the foregoing
list of the lower animals.
"Shall we set the nets?" said Hake, going up to Karlsefin, who was busy
arranging the principal hut, while the men were bringing their goods and
chattels on shore. "You know we saw a salmon leap from a pool on Little
River. Doubtless they are in the lake also."
"Try it, Hake, by all means. Go with your brother in the little boat
and set them where you think best. Fresh salmon for supper would be a
rare treat just now. Are you sure it _was_ a salmon you saw, and not a
large trout?"
"Sure? Ay, as sure as I am that a horse is not a cow," replied Hake,
smiling.
"Go then, and luck go with you."
The nets were soon set in the bay, near the point of the ness on which
the huts were built, and near to which a small mountain-stream entered
the lake.
Suddenly a shrill angry voice was heard issuing from one of the smaller
huts near the lake. It was Freydissa storming at poor Bertha. There
was an occasional bass growl intermingled with it. That was Thorward
remonstrating.
"Poor Bertha," said Karlsefin to Biarne, who was standing beside him at
the time, "she has a hard mistress."
"Poor Thorward," said Biarne, "he has a tough wife."
"Thorward will cure or kill her," rejoined Karlsefin, with a laugh. "He
is a long-suffering man, and very tender to women withal, but he is not
made of butter."
Biarne shook his head. He evidently had not much opinion of Thorward's
resolution when opposed by the will and passion of such a termagant as
Freydissa.
"How much better 'twould have been," said he, "if Thorward had married
her maid--the sweet little fair-haired blue-eyed Bertha."
"Why, Biarne, methinks that _thou_ art somewhat like to try that plan,"
said his friend, looking at him in surprise, for he had spoken with much
enthusiasm.
"Not I, man," returned Biarne, with a smile and a shake of the head.
"It is long since my heart was buried in Iceland. I am doomed to be an
old bachelor now."
They both listened at this point, for the domestic brawl in the small
hut seemed to be waxing furious. Thorward's voice was not heard so
often, but when it did sound there was an unusually stern tone in it,
and Freydissa's became so loud that her words were audible.
"It has been killed, I tell you, Bertha, by sheer carelessness. If you
had fed it properly it would have been as well as the others. _Don't_
say you did your best for it. You didn't. You _know_ you didn't.
You're a smooth-faced vixen. You are. Don't speak. Don't speak back,
I say. Hold your tongue. You killed that kitten by carelessness."
"If you don't hold your tongue, wife," said Thorward, in a loud stern
voice, "I'll kill the cat too."
There was a pause here, as if the threat had taken away Freydissa's
breath.
"Oho! that's the poor little kitten," whispered Karlsefin to Biarne,
referring to one of a litter that had been born at sea, "that was nigh
eaten by one of the dogs. Bertha had no hand in its death. I wonder it
lived so long."
"Kill the cat?" shrieked Freydissa, stamping her foot.
This was instantly followed by an unearthly caterwaul and the sudden
appearance of a dark object in the air, which, issuing from the door of
the hut, flew upwards like a sky-rocket, described a wide curve, and
fell heavily about fifty yards out into the lake. Next moment Freydissa
sprang from the hut and stood with clasped hands on the shore in
speechless horror. Thorward immediately after came forth with a dark
frown on his face, and walked away into the forest. Freydissa stood
like a statue for some minutes, and then, seeing that the cat lay quite
motionless, she turned, and, with a face that was deadly pale,
re-entered the hut.
"It was cruel," observed Karlsefin sadly.
"But salutary, perhaps," said Biarne.
"It may be so," rejoined the other; "but even if Thorward's end be a
good one, a right end does not justify a wrong action.--Ah! here comes
sunshine. How goes it, Gudrid?"
Gudrid, who came forward at the moment, and knew nothing of what had
occurred, said that she wanted Karlsefin's help, if he could spare time,
in order to arrange some of the fixtures in their new home.
Assuring her that she herself was the most valuable "fixture" in the
house, Karlsefin left his work and the two walked off together, while
Biarne went down to the ship.
Meanwhile Thorward returned to his hut, where he found Freydissa alone,
sitting on a box with her face buried in her hands. She did not move,
so he sat down beside her with a subdued look.
"Freydissa," he said, "I'm sorry I did that. 'Twas cruel, 'twas hard;
but it is done now, and can't be undone. Forgive me, lass, if you can."
She raised her head suddenly, and gazed at him with a flushed
countenance.
"Thorward," she said with energy, "if you had come with any other tone
or word I would have hated you with all the power of my heart--"
"And that's a strong power, Freydissa."
"It is. But now--"
She threw her arms round her husband's neck and kissed him. Thorward
returned the kiss with the vigour of a man who is wont to give back more
than he gets.
"Thanks, my girl," said he, rising, "thanks. That puts my heart at
ease. As for the poor cat, she's beyond the influence of anger or
repentance now; but trust me, Freydissa, I shall fetch you the
handsomest cat that can be had for love or money in all Greenland, or
Iceland; ay, even if I should have to make a special voyage to get hold
of it."
Thus did Thorward and Freydissa fall out, and thus were they reconciled,
on the first day in their new home in Vinland.
Talking this matter over with Thorward next day, Karlsefin took occasion
to give his friend some sage advice.
"Depend upon it, Thorward," said he, "no good ever comes of quarrelling
or violence, but, on the contrary, much evil. 'Tis well that you
confessed your fault to her, else had she ever after held you in light
esteem; because, although _she_ deserved reproof, the cat did not
deserve to be killed."
"Beshrew me!"
"Nay," interrupted Karlsefin, with a laugh, "_that_ is the last thing
you ought to say, seeing that you have had so much beshrewing already."
"Well, well," said Thorward, "thou art wonderfully smart at giving good
advice."
"Would that I could say thou wert equally smart at taking it! However,
I have hope of thee, Thorward. Come, let us go see what the nets have
produced. I observe Hake and Heika rowing to land."
It was found that the fishermen had loaded their boat with magnificent
trout of all sizes--some above five or six pounds' weight--besides a
large quantity of excellent fish of other kinds, but not a single salmon
had been taken. Nevertheless they had good reason to be content with
their success, for the supply was sufficient to provide a hearty supper
for the whole party, so that the first night in the new home,--like the
first night in the new land,--was a merry one.