With that he sat down on the bench where I had been, and though he
smiled at us, we could see that his words were true enough, and
that he was bearing bravely what would have overborne most men. And
now the falcon fluttered from my wrist to his.

Then my father bade me hasten, and I brought ale and meat for the
jarl, and set them before him, and soon he was taking that which he
needed; but every now and then he gave to the bird, stroking her
ruffled feathers, and speaking softly to her.

"Aye, my beauty," he said once, "I did but cast you down wind lest
you should be lost with me. And I would have had you take back the
news that I was lost to my own home."

My father stood and watched the tide, and presently I joined him,
for I would not hinder the Dane from his meal by watching him. I
looked at the beautiful boat astern, tossing lightly on the wave
crests, and saw that she would surely be lost over the bar; so I
asked my father now, as I had meant before, if we might not try to
get her on board.

For answer he turned to Lodbrok.

"Set you much store by your boat, Jarl?" he asked him.

"The boat is yours, Thane, or Wulfric's, by all right of salvage.
But I would not have her lost, for my sons made her for me this
last winter, carving her, as you see, with their own hands. Gladly
would I see her safe if it might be."