Viking Boys Read online

  CHAPTER IV.

  "HAPPY WAS HE IN HIS WARRING."

  When the sun was well up next morning, which meant about three o'clock,Yaspard came downstairs, carrying his armour, and treading softly, ashe did not wish to disturb anybody. Pirate was dozing in the porch,but when the lad appeared he got up and followed him to the quay.Signy's eyes too followed--for she had heard her brother leave hisroom--and again her heart was troubled when she saw the weapons ofwarfare. All unconscious of her gaze, he proceeded to stow these intohis boat, where Pirate had stepped gravely, and Signy's soul wascomforted as she returned to her bed murmuring, "Any way, he has Piratewith him, and Pirate is more than a match for anything!"

  Yaspard was soon across the voe, and he soon had the Harrisons out oftheir beds. When they reached the beach Lowrie pulled out of afish-chest two neatly made wooden swords, two slings, two bows, and asheaf of arrows. As he handed some to his brother he said to Yaspard,"We made the swords last night, and most of the arrows. I think theyare a great improvement on the last."

  "Yes, certain!" was the ready answer; but Yaspard's eyes gleamed as hepointed to his ancestral old iron, and said, "What think you of mine?"

  "Oh, grand! splendid!" they cried.

  "You are going to have a share--a loan of them, I mean." And then herapidly explained what he purposed doing, and what he wished them todo. As the boat slipped rapidly along, the lads rigged themselves foraction. Playing at "Robinson Crusoe" and "Hawk eye" had been favouritegames, therefore they were provided with all sorts of belts and pouchesfor holding every conceivable kind of weapon; and queer figures theylooked when their war toilet was complete, and they sat down to talkover their scheme and project a great many more.

  Once outside of Boden voe, it did not take long to reach Havnholme.The _Laulie_ was lying along the crags safely moored there, and hercrew were asleep in the old shed, where they had spent many a nightbefore. They had had a long day of exciting sport, and were wrapped insleep more profound than usual.

  But when the _Osprey_ came within hailing distance, Yaspard ran up ablack flag and raised a shout of "A Viking! a Viking!" His companionstook up the cry, and Pirate, setting his fore-paws on the bow, barkedand howled like mad. Such a hullaballoo was enough to waken anybody,and the Lunda boys--half-awake--rushed out of the shed, and stoodstaring in dumb-foundered amazement at the foe!

  The Harrisons burst out laughing at the ludicrous spectacle of fourlads rubbing their eyes, scratching their heads, shaking themselvesstraight in their clothes, and looking as if there never had been halfan idea in one of their minds. But Yaspard shouted in grandiloquentstyle--

  "You, lads of Lunda there, listen! We are Vikinger in search of gloryand spoil, and all the rest of it. But we do not take our enemyunawares. We would not assail slumberers. We are nineteenth centuryenough to fight fair. So now, look to yourselves!"

  During these few minutes the _Osprey_ had reached the crags, and wasalongside of the _Laulie_. As he finished speaking the young marauder,leaning over to the other boat, undid her painter, and hitching it tohis own boat, shouted to his companions to row off again. They pulledout from the shore, and the _Laulie_ was captured before her crew hadwaked up enough to comprehend what was going on.

  "It's Yaspard Adiesen masquerading like an ass," said Harry Mitchell atlast.

  "It will only be a bit of fun," Gloy Winwick ventured to say, for bythat time he had recognised Lowrie and Gibbie. They were his cousins,and he had often met them, and heard of the curious games which youngAdiesen invented for their amusement and his own. "There will be naeharm in it. It's just his way. He's queer."

  The last half of his remarks was given in an aside to Tom Holtum, butTom only growled, "Bother the fellow! What does he mean by suchpreposterous impudence?"

  Tom's temper was easily roused; and, followed by the others, he ran tothe crag and shouted, "Give us none of your humbug! Bring back theboat, or it will be the worse for you!"

  A mocking laugh was all the answer he got; and this so exasperated Tomthat he was about to fling a volley of abuse to the enemy, but Harrychecked him. Harry was always the first to look at a thing from morepoints than one, and now he said in an undertone, "I expect it is onlysome nonsensical make-believe. Yaspard is a baby in some ways, I amtold; and he never exchanges a word with gentlemen's sons--liveshorribly alone, you know. Let's humour him a bit, and see what it willcome to."

  Tom grunted, but Bill and Gloy seconded Harry, so Harry called out, "Isay, you might as well come on shore first and tell us what's up, andthen let us start fair all round."

  "I'd like to," burst from Yaspard in his natural and impulsive manner,"but I mustn't. Uncle Brues has forbidden me to be friends with _any_of you Lunda fellows, because of the family feud, you know. But I'mtired of having no chums, and living as I do, so I'm resolved to be aViking; and as you are all my enemies, I shall, of course, try toharass you in every way I can, to fight you, and carry off yourproperty, and conquer you, and--and--have some good fun!"

  Tom and Harry instantly got the right kind of inspiration about thematter, and replied, "All right, we're your men! strongest fend off!"but Gloy exclaimed, "I think he must be going off his head," and Billcalled out furiously, "Conquer us! come and try, if you dare."

  "I'll dare another day, youngster," answered the Viking loftily; "butlisten now" (addressing the others): "I've got your boat, and you mustagree to what I ask before I will let you have her again."

  "Impudence!" shouted Tom.

  "Tuts, man, let him haver," said Harry; then to Yaspard, "Well, go on."

  "Are you captain of that crew?" Yaspard asked.

  "In the absence of my elders and betters, yes!"

  "Well, I want you to take a letter (it is really two letters, oneinside the other) to the young Laird of Lunda. He is captain, chief,yarl, and all the rest of it, over you and your island."

  "If it's a proper letter I'll take it," Harry answered promptly.

  "One of the letters is quite proper; but, proper or no proper, uncle'snote must also reach Mr. Garson, and you must promise to give itfaithfully before I give you the _Laulie_. She's a splendid littlecraft. She would make a glorious Viking's bark! I am tempted to keepmy spoil."

  While they were talking Bill said to Gloy very loudly, "Never mind thejabber, boy. Come for a swim before breakfast! I'm off." Theystripped and went in, and as they did so they whispered together andwinked knowingly, then began to race and splash in the water as if theyhad no thought in their heads but the enjoyment of the moment, whilethe rival captains continued the engrossing debate.

  Harry was not unwilling to carry the letter, but he did not like to bethreatened into doing it.

  "Suppose I refuse?" he said.

  "Then I go off with your boat, and you remain prisoned on Havnholme."

  "You could be severely punished if you did so."

  "If you are mean enough to tell, and bring grown people and lawyersinto the business," retorted Yaspard.

  "I see no harm in taking the letter to Fred," said Tom then.

  Tom strongly objected to telling tales. He also scented some rareshindies in the game Yaspard was playing, and Harry, seeing that thesituation was an awkward one, agreed.

  "Is that all?" he asked. But before the enemy could reply there came ashout from Tom, a howl from Yaspard, a screech from the Harrisons, andloud laughter from Gloy in the water.

  Gloy and Bill had taken advantage of the attention of the others beingchiefly directed to those on shore, and had, as if by accident, swamnearer to the boats. Then Gloy had held the Harrisons in talk whileBill quietly contrived to swim to that side of the _Laulie_ which wasfarthest from the other boat. No one was aware of his movements untilhe had swiftly crawled into the _Laulie_. Leaning over the side, heslipped the painter from the thole-pin round which it hung, and thenshoving with all his might, he sent the skiffs a good way apart at once.

  "After him, boys!" Yaspard cried; but the boys were not ready. Gloyhad
come alongside and had caught hold of Gibbie, Lowrie was laughinglike to split his sides at the sight of Bill, nude and dripping, gapinglike a fresh caught cod, rowing for his life. The _Laulie_ was safeback at her favourite crag in a minute more, and Yaspard could onlycomfort himself for being so outwitted by making a captive of Gloy.

  "He isn't worth much without his clothes," Harry told all who cared tohear.

  "We'll paint him," retorted Yaspard, and Gloy began to think that hisposition was awkward, to say the least of it; but Tom, whosegood-humour had been completely restored by Bill's clever manoeuvre,said--

  "You might just as well come along and have some breakfast with us, andthen we can arrange the campaign, and settle about ransom for thecaptive."

  There was no resisting such a suggestion, especially as it did not hintat compromise of the "position."

  The _Osprey_ came to land, and Gloy was permitted to go and resume hisgarments, after giving his word of honour to respect the parole.

  A white handkerchief was tied to a fishing-rod, which was planted inthe skeoe wall, and under that flag of truce the rival parties mademerry in lighting a fire, boiling water, and feasting heartily on thegood things which the Manse boys never failed to find in their ferdimetbasket.