Viking Boys Read online

  CHAPTER V.

  "THOU ART YOUNG AND OVER-BOLD."

  As they ate they talked, you may be sure. The Lunda boys weredecidedly in favour of Yaspard's scheme--was there ever a boy who wouldhave objected to any such prank? They saw no harm in it whatever, onlyHarry said--

  "We must consult Fred Garson; we never go in for any big thing withoutconsulting Fred."

  "Of course," Yaspard answered cheerfully. "He will let you read myletter, and you will see by it that I expect he will have a finger inthe pie--not to take part in the war, but just to look on and kind ofsee fair-play, you know, and umpire us when we fall out. He is a nicefellow, people say."

  "There is no one like him," said Harry, with that hearty enthusiasmwhich all the lads of Lunda displayed when their chief was mentioned.

  "What a pity it is," Bill chimed in, "that Eric and Svein are away,and--too old now for this kind of thing."

  "I am glad they are too old," replied Yaspard, "for that leaves ournumber about equal."

  "Four to three! you are in a minority," said Tom.

  "There is Pirate," Yaspard answered, with a smile, and Pirate waggedhis tail, as much as to say, "I'm ready for any or all of you."

  "Oh, if dogs are to be in it," laughed Tom, "there's Watchie, thatSvein rescued off a skerry; and there's old toothless Tory at theManse. But now, what about the hapless captive? What do you price himat, Mr. Viking?"

  "Twenty pebbles wet with the waves of Westervoe," was the instantreply, at which the lads roared.

  "We don't carry our beach about in our pockets," one of them said, assoon as the laugh subsided.

  "Then I must keep my captive till you bring his price." And Yaspardstuck to that, and urged his arguments so well that finally it wasagreed that he should hold Gloy till his friends produced thestipulated ransom.

  The prisoner did not seem very distressed. He had never been to Boden,and he anticipated having a good time during his captivity. He tookfor granted that his prison would be Noostigard, the home of hiscousins--so little did he understand the mind and method of a Vikingboy!

  It is no part of my intention to tell you just now what those boysarranged. They hugely enjoyed laying plans, and we shall hearpresently how these were carried out.

  Before parting they engaged in a preliminary combat--we might be nearerthe right term for it if we called it a knightly joust.

  Gloy and Pirate were not in the tournament, for Yaspard had said themagic words "On guard" to his dog, and pointed out Gloy, who did notfrom that moment dare to move from the spot. The wooden swords weregiven to Bill and Gibbie; Tom and Lowrie had two huge broadswords whichhad been rendered harmless by chopping sticks. The rival captainschose two rapiers rusted to their sheaths.

  It was a famous joust. The old iron clashed and sounded very terrible.The young heroes fought valiantly. Presently Bill's wooden sword brokein two, and he ought to have owned himself beaten, but he didn't. Hecaught Gibbie in a true wrestler's grip, and soon they were rollingtogether on the sandy seashore.

  Tom very soon settled Lowrie by striking his mighty heavy weapon fromhis hand; but this victory was of no account in the general action whenHarry's rapier went spinning over his head, and he went down on hisback before the vigorous fencing of Yaspard. He was on his feet,however, in time to witness the final roll over of Bill and Gibbie.They had reached the water's edge, and the incoming tide washed overthem, putting a most effectual stop to their wrestling-match. Chokingwith sand, and wet with spray, they let go of each other and jumped totheir feet, panting, but happy, and declaring that "it wasn't a badround, that."

  All agreed that the joust had ended in a draw between the two parties,so--highly pleased with themselves and their new acquaintances--bothcrews got into the boats, and were soon sailing in opposite directionsaway from Havnholme.

  When the _Osprey_ reached Boden, Yaspard ran her into a small geo(creek) near the mouth of the voe. The cliffs which formed the geowere lofty, and overhung a strip of dry white sand. The place lookedalmost like a cave. There was no way out of the geo by land, andYaspard said, as the boat grounded, "This will be a splendid place fora prison."

  "Gracious! you're never going to leave me here?" exclaimed Gloy in akind of comical dismay.

  "Yes, here! what could be better? It is a very nice place. I've spentmany a happy hour in this geo reading and fishing. Now, don't befrightened. I won't leave you long;--only till I see if the coast isclear, so that we can carry you to a real prison. We'll call this theViking's Had,[1] and in his Had he means to keep you for a littlewhile."

  "Oh, come, this is too much," Lowrie remonstrated.

  "Not at all. You know very well that Uncle Brues will not let anybodyfrom Lunda set foot on the island. If he chanced to see Gloy he wouldmake us take him straight away again; and he would ask so manyquestions that I should be obliged to tell the whole affair. Now, ifwe keep him here till the evening, we can then bring him without fearof discovery to a safe place. I know of a splendid place for hisprison--so comfortable, and under a roof too! And see, here is a lotof ferdimet left; and" (pulling a small book from his coat pocket)"here is 'Marmion' to amuse you, Gloy. I'll leave you myfishing-rod--lots of sillacks about the geo. Oh, you won't think thetime long till we come again."

  Gibbie and Gloy exchanged rueful glances, and Lowrie, scratching hishead, said, "I'm no' just sure that my faither will like our having ahand in ony such prank, sir."

  The Harrisons were very much in earnest when they addressed Yaspard as"Sir," and he did not like it, for it usually meant that they weregoing to oppose some darling project of his. He did not suggestconcealment; he knew that these boys always recounted all theiradventures to their parents; but he rather counted on James Harrisonseeing no harm in what he proposed, and therefore "winking" at it.

  "Your father will not mind one bit if you tell him that I am going touse up that ridiculous old feud in this business. Believe me, he won'tsee any harm in it."

  "But our own cousin, and his first visit to Boden?" said Lowrie, onlyhalf satisfied.

  Here Gibbie struck in: "It's only a little bit of fun, Lowrie; don'tlet us make a fuss, for that may spoil all."

  Gloy glanced around the geo, evidently calculating how far his powersof climbing were fit to cope with the walls of his prison; and Yaspard,guessing his thought, said, "I shall leave Pirate on guard with you."

  Gloy resigned himself to fate, and patting the dog, he assured Yaspardthat he didn't mind staying in the geo a few hours--even days--if thatwould help to demolish the quarrels which had kept poor young Adiesenso isolated from his kind.

  "You're a brick," the others declared. Then Pirate got hisinstructions, and the _Osprey_ went on her homeward way.

  When she had disappeared in a curve of the fiord, a tiny punt came outfrom behind some crags which formed part of the geo. The punt waspropelled by no unskilful hand, although its solitary occupant used ageological hammer more often than an oar. We may judge what GloyWinwick felt like when he recognised the new-comer to be the dreadedLaird of Boden!

  In blissful ignorance of the fact that his uncle had been so near, andhad heard every word of their conference, Yaspard landed the Harrisonsat their own noost; and promising to return for them at dusk, he tookhimself to Moolapund. There Signy was looking out eagerly for him, andgreat was her joy at his safe return. The little girl's livelyimagination had been conjuring up all sorts of terrible adventuresthrough which her hero might be passing, and she looked anxiously athim and his boat for signs of a fray. None were visible, not even thearmour, for it had been stowed under the foot-boards.

  "What have you done with Pirate?" Signy asked.

  Now Yaspard was a very truthful boy, and could not tell a "whopper" tosave his life. "Pirate is all right," he answered; "and if you willcome up to my room, Mootie, I'll tell you my great secret, for it hasbegun to work. Only think!"

  There were few things he loved more than his bright little sister'ssympathy. He was never
so happy as when pouring into her ears thestory of his exploits. He thoroughly enjoyed telling her all about hisexpedition to Havnholme, and his pleasure was not even damped by thetears rising in her blue eyes when he described Gloy a prisoner in thegeo with Pirate for jailer.

  "Wasn't it a good lark, Signy? Don't I make a ripping Viking, &c.?"

  She smiled in spite of her compassion, but she said, "Oh, brodhor, youknow he is only a poor boy. If it had been one of the others it wouldnot have mattered so much; but Gloy Winwick is a poor widow's son, andan only son, and it seems just a little--horrid."

  "I never thought of it that way," Yaspard said, looking verycrestfallen; "but it can't be helped now, any way. However, I'll makeit up to him afterwards. He shan't lose by this, I tell you."

  Signy twined her arms round his neck, and whispered softly, "Brodhor,is it quite--quite right, do you think, to do what Uncle Brues would bevery angry about?"

  "I don't think it's _wrong_ any way," the lad replied. "I haven'tdisobeyed uncle, and I haven't told any stories. I've only---- There,Signy; if it seems a mean or deceitful thing I've done, I'll set thatright in a jiffy. I'll just go and tell Uncle Brues about it myself."

  "How brave you are, brodhor! How straight you go at things, to besure!"

  "And how round the corner and round my neck you go with things,Mootie-ting!" laughed he; then more gravely asked, "Where is uncle, doyou know?"

  "He is out, as usual, after specimens: he has been out a long time."

  "Oh, well, I'll tell him when he comes."

  [1] "Had," the den of a wild animal.