Not many words or crafty, but men saw his face, and heard that which was
in the voice, and they needed no word of reward to come, but shouted as
we had shouted when the bride came home to Grimsby, and I thought that
with the shout the throne of Hodulf was rocking.


CHAPTER XX. THE OWNING OF THE HEIR.

Worn out we were with that long fight, and we all had some small wounds
--not much worth speaking of; and when these were seen to, we slept.
Only my brother Raven waked, and he sat through all the rest of the
short night on the high place, with his sword across his knees,
watching, for he blamed himself, overmuch as we all thought, for the
happenings of the attack.

"Trouble not, brother, for we were in the keeping of Biorn, and he could
not have dreamt that foes could follow us over seas. It was not for you
to be on guard."

These were Withelm's words, but for once Raven did not heed them.

"Would Grim, our father, have slept with a lee shore under him, leaving
a stranger to keep watch? That is not how he taught me my duty; and I
have been careless, and I know it. I should have thought of Griffin when
I saw the ship come in."

So he had his way, and the last that I saw ere my eyes closed was his
stern form guarding us; and when I woke he was yet there, motionless,
with far-off eyes that noted the little movement that I made, and