Then he saw that I was grieved, for I thought for the moment that he would bid me to stay, and so I should have to do so; but he took my part.

“I cannot be without my brothers,” he said.  “If I had any word in the matter—­which mainly concerns the folk to be ruled, as it seems to me (for I do not know of any man who would not uphold me)—­I should say that Sigurd the jarl was the right man, for all know that he is a good ruler, nor will it be any new thing to submit to him.”

That pleased all, and the end of it was that Sigurd was chosen to hold the land for Havelok.

Then Sigurd sat on the steps of the high place at Havelok’s feet, and the king said, “I have no need to tell any man here who this is, and why I think him worthy of the highest honour, for all know him and his worth as well as I. Mainly by him was the thought of my return kept in the minds of men, so that when the time came all were ready to hail me, as you have done.  Therefore, as by him I am king, so I make him king also for me.  He shall rule all the land while I am away, and to him shall all men account as to me.  And because it is right that his kingship should be certain, I give him all his jarldom as a kingdom from henceforth, only subject to me and my heirs as overlord.  King therefore he is, and none can say that you are ruled by naught but a jarl.”

Then Havelok girt on the new king’s sword, and set his own crowned helm on his head for a moment; and all the Thing hailed him gladly, for he was the right man without doubt.

Then Sigurd did homage for his new honour; and after that he rose up, and grew red and uneasy, as if there was somewhat that he wished to say, and was half afraid to do so.

Thereat some friend in the hall said, “You take your kingship worse than did Radbard himself, as it seems.  What is amiss?”

“Why, I wanted to go on the Viking path with Havelok, and now it seems that I cannot.”

Then one shouted, “I never heard of a land going wrong while its king was away risking his life to get property for his men.  There is no man here who is going to rise against either you or Havelok.  And it is only to send a message to our great overlord to say what we are about, and he will see that the land is in peace.  Nor do I think that any king would harry Havelok’s land, for he is well loved by all his peers.”

Wherefore it seemed that Sigurd must go also, and we had to set Biorn as head man while Sigurd was away; but that would only be for a month or two.  So all things were ordered well, and in a month we set sail with twenty ships, and in them a matter of fifteen hundred men.

At first we thought that we would make for Grimsby; but then it seemed best to land elsewhere, and more to the south, for we would have messages sent at once to Ragnar to call East Anglia to Havelok’s banner, and Alsi would have less chance of cutting us off from him.  So we sailed to Saltfleet haven, which lies some twenty-five miles southward from Grimsby.  Raven piloted us in safely, and there were none to hinder our landing.  The town was empty, indeed, when the ships came into the haven, for all had fled in haste, except a few thralls, for fear of the Vikings.