And when Ingolf had answered, the old man repeated his questions time after time. It suddenly occurred to Ingolf that his father could no longer hear as well as before. He had to raise his voice, and he found it trying and embarrassing to have to change it. Orn noticed the change, and shouted: "Yes, I no longer hear so well. It is especially this ear here which is affected. But it is worse with Rodmar! He is alive still. But he has gone blind!" Orn laughed with a snort. "That is still worse!" His laughter filled Ingolf with discomfort. Then Orn suddenly stopped laughing. He had happened to cast a glance down towards the ships. Now he stood, his glance became fixed, and his eyes widened. Then he suddenly began to count and point at the same time with a crooked finger. "One, two, three...."
When he had counted up to twenty, he broke off and said to Ingolf, with a voice trembling with joyful emotion: "How many are there altogether?" Ingolf smiled. "There are many," he answered, in a friendly tone. "I took care that you should not want wine, father."
From the landing-place below there came a long line of men up towards the house, each one trundling a barrel. As though guided by his sense of smell, Rodmar came at the same moment tottering out of the house, supported on two sticks, and carefully feeling his way forward with his legs. Orn turned towards him, and shouted in a high and excited voice: "Now the barrels of red wine from the land of the Franks are coming in a long line rolling up to the house, Cousin Rodmar!"
"Ah, my eyes!" answered Rodmar, in a trembling and weak voice. "Gladly would I have seen that sight. But keep silent, so that I can at any rate hear the wine slopping inside the barrels!"
There was a great restlessness in Orn's blood. He took short steps, and could not stand still. With his crooked fingers he took hold of Ingolf's cloak, drew him down towards him, and gave him a hasty kiss on his forehead. Then he tottered on stiff legs up to Rodmar and clapped him on the shoulder with a trembling hand. "I cannot hear, and you cannot see, cousin. But let us thank Odin that we can both still taste. Isn't your tongue dry with knowing that there is so much wine close by? Mine rolls in my mouth like birch-bark."
It was not long before the two aged kinsmen sat side by side in the high-seat and tasted for the first time the red wine from the land of the Franks, which they had been waiting for during a whole long summer. They drank the wine noisily, let it fill their mouths, and tasted it with satisfaction.
"How do you like it?" asked Orn between gulps. Rodmar gave himself barely time to answer. "It tastes good," he answered hastily, and drank, "but I miss seeing the colour."
"Splash a little in your eyes, cousin," Orn answered, and laughed.
There they sat, and became very cheerful later in the day. Long before the sun went down they were asleep and snoring loudly. Drink had come to Dalsfjord.
Not till towards evening did Ingolf find Leif and Helga. Ingolf embraced Helga, and kissed her with much tenderness. "Are you pleased with all the gifts, sister?" he asked, with a smile.