"The Sword will sail for Africa," said Ulric; "but as for pirates, we will see to that matter."
"Verily there is none like thee!" exclaimed the Jew. "Thou art like Saul, the son of Kish!"
Into a small sack of deerskin did Ulric put his jewels, looking at them one by one and admiring their great beauty.
"Never saw I such before," he said. "They are such as kings wear in the southlands. I think the gods must have many of them. These white ones are pearls, and they are lustrous. The green stones are emeralds."
"They are of great value," said Ben Ezra. "Especially that large, flat-faced one. It is engraven with the sign of the sun, and it came therefore from Persia. Thy pearls are from the East, and they are wonderful, but some of mine are as large."
"I will keep the gold in my belt pouch," said Ulric, "and thou shalt teach me to pay with it."
"Thou shalt not be cheated," said Ben Ezra.
Then he took his closed casket with him and walked to the after cabin, for in that was to be his abiding place, and he said that he would mourn there for his son.
"Southward!" shouted Ulric to the viking at the rudder of the trireme. "We have done well this day, and the night cometh."
A wind had arisen and the sails were full, but the men did not seem to be idle. They busied themselves with the tackle and with the stowing of the ship, but every now and then each one would step out on deck or lean over a bulwark to look long and earnestly across the sparkling sea.