"'May Odin send me such guests every winter!' he said.
"Early next morning we shook hands with our host and boarded the 'Waverunner' and sailed off.
"'Where shall we go?' my men asked.
"'Let the gods decide,' I said, and tossed up my spear.
"When it fell on the deck it pointed up-shore, so I steered in that direction. That is the best way to decide, for the spear will always point somewhere, and one thing is as good as another. That time it pointed us into your father's ships. They closed in battle with us and killed my men and sunk my ship and dragged me off a prisoner. They were three against one, or they might have tasted something more bitter at our hands. They took me before King Halfdan.
"'Here,' they said, 'is a rascal who has been harrying our coasts. We sunk his ship and men, but him we brought to you.'
"'A robber viking?' said the king, and scowled at me.
"I threw back my head and laughed.
"'Yes. And with all your fingers it took you a year to catch me.'
"The king frowned more angrily.