They had no ties to us but those of common work and life together, and it was the old land that they must think of leaving.

They said nothing, for until he has made up his mind a Scot will not answer.
They would have to decide directly, for now Heidrek was coming back to us.

After him were a score or more of his men, and the rest were loading themselves with the plunder and starting one by one towards the haven, into which the two ships were just bearing up.

They would be alongside the little wharf by the time the men reached it.
Our own good longship lay there also, and I wondered what they would do with her.

She was too good to burn.
Now Heidrek stood before me and looked at me, glowering, for a moment.
"Well," he said curtly, "do you join me?
Mind you, I would not give every man the chance, but you and yours are men." Before I could say aught, and it was on my mind to tell the pirate what I thought of him, if I spent my last breath in doing it, the courtman who had spoken with me just now answered for himself.
"We do what the young jarl does," he said; "we follow him." "The choice was whether you would follow me or not," answered Heidrek coldly; "I will have no leader but myself." Some of his wilder followers cried out now that we were wasting time, and that an end should be made, while a sword or two were drawn among them.