“Well,” he cried, “are you all dumb, or fools, or wise men; or a little of all three?”

But my men answered nothing, even as I had bidden them, and I thought that my time was not yet come to speak.

“The fog has got into their throats,” said a Dane; for with a great lifting of my heart I knew their tongue, and it was Lodbrok’s and not Norse.

“Struck speechless with fear more like,” said another.

“Ho, men,” said the leader, “which is your captain?”

One of our crew pointed to me, and I came to the break of the deck saying: 

“I am master of this ship.”

And I spoke as a Dane, for my long company with Lodbrok had given me the very turn of his speech.

At that the viking stared at me, and one of his men said: 

“When did Danes take to trading on this coast?”

“You are Saxon by all seeming,” said the leader, “yet you speak like a Dane.  Whence are you, and how learned you our tongue so glibly?”

“We are from Reedham in East Anglia, which is at peace with the Danish host,” I said; “and I learnt the Danish speech from one who is my friend, Lodbrok the Dane, whom men call Jarl Lodbrok.”

Now at that word the Danes all turned to me, and hardly one but let fall some word of wonder; and the young leader took two great steps towards me, with his face flushing and his eyes lit up with a new look.

Then he stopped, and his face changed, growing white and angry, and his teeth closed tightly as he looked at me.  Then he said: 

“Now if you are making a tale to save your skins, worse shall it be for you.  What know you of Lodbrok?”

I held out my hand, on which the jarl’s ring shone white against the sea-browned skin.

“Here is a token he gave me before I sailed, that some friend of his might know it and speak to me,” I said.

The viking dropped his axe on the deck and seized my hand, gazing at the ring and the runes graven thereon.

“Lives he yet?” he said, breathless.

“Aye, Halfden Lodbroksson, your father lives and is well in our house,” I answered; for now I knew that this was surely the youngest of those three sons of whom the jarl had told me so often.

Now at that word the Danes broke into a great cheer, but Halfden laid his hands on my shoulders and kissed me on both cheeks, while the tears of joy ran down his face.

“Well must Lodbrok my father love you if he has told you so much that you know me by name,” he cried; “and well does he trust you since he has given you his ring.  Tell me more and ever more of him.”

Then sudden as before his mood changed, and he let me go and climbed on the rail with his arm round a backstay, and taking off his helm he lifted up a mighty shout to his ship: 

“Found is Jarl Lodbrok, ahoy!”

And with uplifted weapons his men repeated the shout, so that it seemed as though the loved name was heard across the still water, for the men on board the ship cheered in answer.