"A good thought. We have not had a picnic on Havnholme for ages. The last time I saw the Yarl of Broch, he was saying he had not set foot on the Holme since he was a boy, and got thrashed there by you, Adiesen, eh?"
"I remember! I remember!" answered the scientist, chuckling and rubbing his hands together. "We were boys then—yes, boys—and boy-like, very ready for a row. It seems so short a time ago! It was, yes, it was a rare good fight—the only time I ever came off best! Ha! ha! I was not a fighting boy as a rule. I may say Neeven could always lick me; so could my poor brother Yaspard. But that time—don't know how it happened—I thrashed Halsen. I did indeed, though you mayn't think it."
"I am awfully surprised," said blunt Tom Holtum.
"You may be that," rejoined the scientist, not in the least nettled by the implication in Tom's speech. "You may well be surprised, for he is twice my size; he was a big boy, and is a big man. Yes! the Yarl is a genuine old Shetland Viking of the right sort."
"He'd suit you down to the ground, Yaspard," quoth Tom; and Fred Garson added, "You would freeze to Garth Halsen, boy. He is as mad about Vikinger as you are, only it's in another way. I'll ask them to join our party. You would like to see Mr. Halsen again, wouldn't you?"
"To be sure," Mr. Adiesen replied. "We'll fight our battle o'er again—with our tongues this time. By all means let's have the Yarl and his boy on Friday."
So things were settled; and in high good-humour the Lunda boys escorted Dr. Holtum and their young captain to the boat, and with hearty good-will rowed home, singing lustily as they pulled—
"A life on the ocean wave,
A home on the rolling deep."
When the Lunda boat was out of sight Yaspard heaved a long sigh, and said to Signy, who with him had stood watching their new friends until the curves of the voe hid them from sight, "Well! I suppose I may stop my raids when I like now. There is no feud, and no occasion to go on the warpath."
"It seems almost too good to be true, brodhor," the girl made answer. "You need not mind giving up your Vikinging for such a good reason."