"
I laughed, for any trader in the Severn sea knew that he must be
ready to pay more than harbour dues if he had the ill luck to meet
with the Danes. They would make him pay for freedom, but would not
harm him unless he was foolish enough to fight.
So we held on, and the strange sail, which was seemingly beating up
channel against the wind, put about and headed for us somewhat
sooner than Thorgils expected.
"She is making mighty short boards," he said. "She should surely
have headed over to the coast yet awhile. Would have fetched a bit
of a breeze off the land there, maybe."
Thorgils watched this vessel curiously, for there were things about
her which seemed to puzzle him. The men, too, were beginning to
talk of her and watch her. And presently I saw that our consort,
the Dane, had slackened her speed, so that there was a mile of
water between us astern.
"Oh ay," said Thorgils, as I spoke of this, "they mean to pick her
up when we have passed her. They can overhaul her as they like."
Now we drew near to the strange ship, and it seemed to Owen and me,
as we stood side by side on the after deck beside Thorgils at the
helm, that we saw here and there among the men on her deck the
sparkle of arms as she lifted and swayed to the waves. She was a
long black ship, not like the Dane at all, and her sail was three
cornered on a long tapering yard, quite unlike ours, which was
square.
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