Viking Boys Part 21

The feline person waited for no second remark, but setting up her back at Thor, she cursed him in cat language and hastily decamped; whereat the astute Thor, turning to the company observant of all that was taking place, said "Just so!"

By that time the patience of a good many of the creatures was exhausted, and they took to falling out with one another, the result of which was a concert so peculiar that it drew the attention of the gentlemen, even though they were very intently turning out the contents of a cabinet.

"Ah, poor things! I don't often forget them," Mr. Adiesen said by way of explaining the clamour outside, and--excusing himself to his guests--he hurried away to his menagerie.

Dr. Holtum and Fred stood together at the window and watched the scientist distribute food to his dependants, while Fred told the Doctor a great deal of what had pa.s.sed between himself and his hereditary enemy; and we may be sure his listener rejoiced over such a happy termination to the feud of years.

A pleasant morning glided swiftly to the hour of noontide dinner, when the boys returned to the Ha' hungry and in high spirits. They had concocted a grand "lark" while at Noostigard; and they had encountered Mr. Neeven at the Hoobes, when he had invited Tom to come to Trullyabister whenever he so pleased.

"And I'll go," said Tom, when the recluse was out of hearing. "I'll go, and I'll take the rest of us with me."

After dinner the Doctor said, "You have a Lunda boat here; and I must be at Collaster this afternoon, but I don't want to hurry Fred.

Perhaps some of the boys will take me home and return for him."

But Fred required to go home too, so it was settled that the whole Lunda party were to depart together.

"We are to meet, however, on Friday," said Fred, "and have a splendid picnic in honour of little Signy. She is to be queen of our revels."

"Hurrah! All right! Just your style! Good for you, Fred!" In such words the lads let it be known how thoroughly they appreciated any such project; and when they subsided Mr. Adiesen said, "I wished the picnic to be here--on Boden, I mean; our island is a sc.r.a.p compared with Lunda in size, but we have some cliffs and caves quite as fine as those of any of the Shetland Isles; and I could show you some fine scenery from the Heogue. But Mr. Garson wishes his picnic to be held on----" The old gentleman came to a very full stop, pushed back his spectacles from his nose to his forehead, drew himself up and looked around, meaning to be very emphatic indeed (which he was). "Yes," he resumed, when all his hearers were sufficiently impressed with the importance of what he had to state--"yes, Mr. Garson desires, and I cordially agree, that the picnic--I might call it the celebration of our thanksgiving for my Signy's preservation. Yes--hum! this meeting of my family with our _friends_ of Lunda is to take place on---- Havnholme!"

Who can say what it cost that old man to agree to Fred's proposal; to bury his pride and his resentment, his ancestral prejudice and his personal arrogance, and meet the Laird of Lunda with his friends on the disputed piece of earth?

We cannot understand either the position or the concession, which seem almost ludicrous in our estimation, but were sufficiently solemn, even tragic, in the sight of Brus Adiesen, living a secluded life apart from men, and nursing there every fantastic or unreasonable or old-world idea.

The boys had not a word to say when their host's speech was concluded; but a sniff from Miss Osla, which might be the prelude to tears and sentiment, warned Dr. Holtum not to leave the silence for _her_ to break, and he remarked--

"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 l.u.s.tily 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."

"That's true," he answered cheerily; "only we were getting no end of fun out of it. However, we must think of some other plan, as Mr.

Garson said. Oh! but isn't _he_ a brick, Signy?"

"He is just splendid," was the fervent answer.

"They are _all_ splendid," replied the lad, "except perhaps Tom Holtum. I don't like him much. And to think of cousin Neeven taking to _that_ one of all the lot! Well! if Tom is to be visiting at Trullyabister, where even I have not more than a half-civil 'Good-day'-and-don't-stay-long sort of welcome, there will be hot times in Boden, and plenty of rows."

"Oh, brodhor! don't set up a feud of your own, I beseech!" Signy cried, with a comical look of dismay on her face, and lifting both hands in appeal.

Yaspard burst into laughter. "Oh, Mootie, what a little goose you are!

I couldn't keep a feud going to save my life. I can fight! I dare say, if that chap is much about, I shall knock him down if he cheeks me, but we will shake hands on the spot every time, you bet! _I_ a feud! No, Signy, I am not a fool just yet; though if I had stayed much longer on Yelholme, I'd have lost the little wit I now possess."

They strolled away to the house, and did not know that Uncle Brus had been lying sunning himself on the other side of the stone wall near which they stood. As the brother and sister departed the old gentleman muttered, "Not a fool yet! No, Yaspard is not such a fool now as his uncle has been through a wasted long life. Heaven pardon me!"

[1] Young gulls.

[2] Oyster-catchers.

CHAPTER XXIV.

"MEET AND RIGHT IT IS, FAIR LORD, THAT I SHOULD GO."

The day before that on which the picnic was to take place a mysterious communication pa.s.sed between the young Laird of Lunda and Yaspard Adiesen, the effect of which was to set our Viking into a fit of the fidgets combined with a state of exhilaration of spirit that threatened to effervesce in a dangerous manner at any moment.

But nothing more serious came of it than the startling of Miss Osla's wits by an apparition of her nephew prancing downstairs with one of Signy's old dolls in his arms, and his face and head wrapped in a piece of black linen, upon which our young hero had sketched a death's-head and cross-bones. As the terrific symbols were spread over his face, it was scarcely wonderful that Miss Osla got a fright, and called him a profane boy; but Signy--who was following her brother--explained that "it" was only the "black flag," and that it would never frighten anybody any more; with which explanation the gentle old auntie was quite satisfied.

Friday came, a glorious summer day, and promising to continue so.

Yaspard was up early, putting some finis.h.i.+ng touches to his boat, which had been undergoing a good deal of cleaning and painting in honour of the occasion.

He was all impatience to be off soon, desiring to be the first at the rendezvous; but Uncle Brus was not a person who liked to be hurried, and took his usual time to finish breakfast and feed his pets in spite of Yaspard's fidgets.

Fortunately the Harrison brothers (who were to be the _Osprey's_ crew that day) arrived soon; and he found some relief in discussing with them the projected "lark" to which I have alluded, and which will be recorded in its proper place.

At last Mr. Adiesen and his sister came from the house, the former carrying a vasculum and field-telescope, the latter burdened with shawls and umbrellas, which were an insult to the sun, smiling that day as he seldom condescends to smile on Hialtland.

Signy followed her guardians, and Pirate came with her, bounding and barking his delight--for he was still a young dog, and expressed his pleasure naturally, as young creatures do.

Yaspard's eager impatience did not prevent him from noting his little sister's attractive appearance, and he called out as she came running to the quay, "Why, Mootie, you do look spiff[1] to be sure! Where on earth did you get that elegant frock from?"

"Out of Aunt Osla's bullyament[2] boxes," said she; and Aunt Osla herself explained that the bairn's "best things" had been worsted during her terrible adventure, which had obliged Miss Adiesen to make a new dress. All the same, Signy knew that the good lady had consulted with Mam Kirsty, and had come to the conclusion, fortified by the opinion of her _aide-de-camp_, that "whether or no," such an important occasion demanded a new frock for the queen of the revels.

The Shetland ladies of that time were wont to keep "by them" a h.o.a.rd of "material," seeing that shops were beyond their reach; therefore Miss Adiesen was at no loss to provide a suitable and elegant picnic costume for the darling of Boden; and the result did credit to her taste and ingenuity.

As the family party were taking their places in the boat, two unexpected guests arrived with the evident intention of joining the others. These were Thor and Mr. Neeven. Thor coolly lighted aboard and settled himself close by Mr. Adiesen, remarking, as he did so, "Just so! Bad boy! bad boy! Uncle!"