Then I heard two of the Norseman talking close to the cabin bulkhead.

“This is as good a passage as we shall ever make in the old keel,” one said; “but we shall not fetch Tenby on this tide.  Will Thorgils put in elsewhere, I wonder?”

“We could make the old landing place in an hour,” was the answer, “and we had better wait for tide there than box about in the open channel in this cold.  There is snow coming, I think.”

I heard the man flap his arms across his chest, and the other said: 

“Where do these merchants want to get ashore?  I expect that Thorgils will do as they think best.  He is pretty good natured.”

They went away, and it seemed that I might have an hour before me.  I was sure that if he had a chance Evan would land as soon as he could, and at some other place than at the Danes’ town if possible, so that he might get me away without questions that might be hard to answer.

So I strained at the cords which bound my elbows with all my might, but I only hurt myself as the lashings drew tighter.  I twisted from side to side as I did this, and presently hit my elbow hard against some metal fitting of the ship that seemed very sharp.  Just at first I did not heed this, but by and by, when I had fairly tired myself with struggling, I minded it again, and so turned on my side and set my free hand to work to find out what it was.

There was a stout post which came from beneath and through the rough flooring of the cabin on which I lay, and went upward to the deck.  I daresay it was to make the cable fast to, but I could not see that, nor did it matter to me what it might be for.  But what I had felt was a heavy angle iron that was bolted by one arm to the post and by the other to a thick beam that crossed the ship from side to side, so as to bind the two together.  It had a sharp edge on the part which crossed the floor, and it seemed to me as if it had been set there on purpose, for if I could manage to reach it rightly I might chafe through the cords at my back.  Of course, there was the chance of Evan coming in and seeing what I was at, but I could keep my covering on me, maybe, and if Thorgils came, so much the better.  He would see that something was amiss.

It was no easy task to get myself in such wise that the cord was fairly on the edge of the iron, but I did it at last, and, moreover, I got the thick blanket that was over me to cover me afresh.  Then I started to try to chafe the cord through, and of course I could only move a little at a time, and I could not be sure that I was always rubbing it on the same place.  And the great post was sorely in my way, over my shoulder more or less, so that I must needs hurt myself now and then against it.  But as this seemed my one chance I would not give up until I must.

Every now and then I stayed my sawing and had a great tug at the cords, in hopes that they would give way, but at last I knew I must saw them through almost to the last strand.  It would have been easy if I could keep at work on the same spot, but that was impossible, for I could not see behind me, and the post kept shifting me as I struck it.