Then he mounted upon the upper deck, and overlooked all.
And he nodded his head, well satisfied. And then he descended to the kitchen, to bring up a burning brand.
When he came up again he found that the sailors had lowered the two ship's boats, the larger and the smaller boat, they lay tossing by the boat ropes, to the right and left of the Singing Swan.
"Hasten, my lord," cried one of the seamen to him; "so soon as thou hast thrown the torch, to spring into a boat; for rapidly, in this gale, will the Singing Swan flame up, and easily might the fire seize the boats, and cause both thee and all of us to perish."
Halfred looked with staring eyes at the man "Would ye still live, after ye have seen this?
"Think ye that I will live without Thora? after the guiltless for other's,--for my crime,--hath died?
"No, with me shall ye all on this ship burn--truly a worthless funeral pile for Thora."
"Thou shalt not destroy us, guiltless. Forbid it, Gods!" cried the man, and sprang upon Halfred, to wrest the firebrand from him.
But with a fearful blow of his fist Halfred struck him down upon the deck.
Laughing shrilly, he shouted, "Gods! Who dare still to believe in Gods, when Thora, guiltless, has died?