“Well, unless every man on board is clean witless they must deem us both harmless.  Maybe they have heard of a wedding party that is to cross and are waiting for us.  Otherwise it seems impossible that they will face us and the Dane as well.”

Now Eric was back on his old tack, and passing astern of us.  I saw the glint of his oar blades, which had been run out from their ports ready to take the water if need was presently.

And then we knew that his help would be wanted.  Suddenly the strange ship’s head flew up into the wind and she was round on the other tack, paying off wonderfully quickly; and as she did so, from under her gunwale, where they could be hidden no longer, rose the armed men, seeming to crowd her deck in a moment.  She was full of them from stem to stern, and our men shouted.  She had won well to windward of us.

But Thorgils had known what was coming, and had kept his quick eye on the helmsman of the stranger.  Even as her helm went down for the luff his went up and the men sprang to the sheets, and we were tearing across her bows even as her sail filled on the new tack, and heading away lift by lift toward Eric.  And Eric hove to to meet us, and his sail fell and his oars flashed out and took the water, and he made for us like the sea dragon his ship seemed.

“Down with you men under cover!” roared Thorgils.  “Arrows, comrade!—­Down with you!”

The strange ship was only a bow shot from us, if a long one yet, but she was overhauling us apace.

I saw her men forward bending their bows, and the Norsemen of our crew came aft with my men under the break of the deck on which we stood, where they were in cover.  Evan ran to me with his shield up.

“Evan,” I cried, “shield Thorgils.”  And I set myself before Owen with my own shield raised to cover him, and he laughed at me grimly.

He set his own alongside mine, and we three stood covering Thorgils.  The Norseman’s face was set and watchful, but his blue eyes danced under the knit brows, and I do believe that he was enjoying the sport.

Ay, and so would I but for her who was so close to me.  It was the first time I had known aught but joy in battle, and what all my strange new thoughts were I cannot say.  I would not pass through that time again for worlds.

Then the first arrow fled from the enemy toward us, falling short by a yard or two, and at that there came one who looked like a chief, and stood on the high bows and hailed us in Welsh.

At sight of him Evan cried out, and Owen started.

“Daffyd of Carnbre, Morfed’s kinsman,” Owen said to me quietly.  “This is the last of the crew who followed Morgan.”

“Likewise the last of Daffyd,” Thorgils growled grimly.  “Look!”

But I could not.  Now the arrow storm swept on us, and all the air seemed dark with shafts which dimpled the sea like a hailstorm, and clanged on our shields and smote the decks with a sharp click from end to end of the vessel.  Even at that time I saw that some of the arrows were British, but more of some outland make with cruelly barbed heads.  One or two went near my helm, and I had several in my shield, but none of us were hurt.