"When Haco laughed for the last time, with waving sword out of the death wherein he sank, there was only one galley left. Of all that company of vikings there were no more than nine to tell the tale. These nine we took out of their boat, which was below waves soon. Haco and his men are all fighting the sea-shadows by now." A loud snarling went from man to man. This became a wild cry of rage. Then savage shouts filled the air. Swords were lifted up against the sky, and the fierce glitter of the blue eyes and the bristling of the tawny beards were fair to see, thought the captive women, though their hearts beat against their ribs like eaglets against the bars of a cage. Sweno the Hammerer frowned a deep frown when he heard that Olaus was there with only the _Svart-Alf_ out of the galleys which had gone the southward way. "If the islanders come upon us now with their birlinns we shall have to make a running fight," he said. Olaus laughed. "Aye, but the running shall be after the birlinns, Sweno." "I hear that there are fifty and nine men, of these Culdees yonder, under the sword-priest Maoliosa?" "It is a true word. But to-night, after the moon is up, there shall be none." At that, all who heard laughed, and were less heavy in their hearts because of the slaying and drowning of Haco the Laugher and all his crew. "Where is the woman Brenda that you took?" Olaus asked, as he stared at Sweno's boat and saw no woman there. "She is in the sea." Olaus the White looked. It was his eyes that asked. "I flung her into the sea because she laughed when she heard of how the birlinns that were under Somhairle the Renegade drave in upon our ships and how Haco laughed no more, and the sea was red with Lochlin blood." "She was a woman, Sweno--and none more fair in the isles, after Morna that is mine." "Woman or no woman I flung her into the sea. The Gael call us _Gall_: then I will let no Gael laugh at the Gall. It is enough. She is drowned. There are always women: one here, one there--it is but a wave blown this way or that." At this moment a viking came running across the ruined town with tidings. Maoliosa and his Culdees were crowding into a great birlinn. Perhaps they were coming to give battle: mayhap they were for sailing away from that place. Olaus and Sweno stared across the fjord. At first they knew not what to think. If Maoliosa thought of battle he would scarce choose that hour and place. Or was it that he knew the Gael were coming in force, and that the vikings were caught in a trap? At last it was clear. Sweno gave a great laugh. "By the blood of Odin," he cried, "they come to sue for peace!" Slowly across the loch the birlinn, filled with white-robed Culdees, drew near. At the prow stood a tall old man, with streaming hair and beard, white as sea-foam. In his right hand he grasped a great Cross, whereon was Christ crucified. The vikings drew close one to the other. "Hail them in their own tongue, Sweno," said Olaus.