"Fall not, Thora!" cried Halfred upwards.
Then, as though lightning struck, swift as an arrow, with a wild shriek, she fell downwards from the giddy height of the mast.
The white forehead struck upon the deck, her head and golden hair were bathed in blood.
"Thora! Thora!" cried Halfred, and raised her up, and looked into her eyes. Then he fell senseless with her upon his face among the flowers--for she was dead.
When Halfred raised himself again--he had already long since recovered consciousness, but not the power to rise--the sun was fast going down.
He called the six seamen, who had held themselves shyly aloof in the stern and lower deck, and spoke, but his voice, he himself told me, sounded strange to him like that of another person.
"She is dead. Slain for the sins of others.
"Were there Gods I must have dashed out the brains of all of them, one by one, with this hammer.
"The whole world, heaven and sea, and hell, I must have burned with consuming fire.
"Nothing should any longer be, since Thora no longer is.
"But the ships, and all that is upon it, I will burn--a great funereal pile for Thora.
And he embedded with gentle hands, the dead Thora in the flower mound, so that almost nothing of her form and clothing were to be seen.
And by his orders the six men were obliged to bring upon deck all the weapons, treasures, clothing, and provisions, which were stored in the hold of the Singing Swan.
And Halfred heaped them around the mast upon the flower mound, and purple clothing, linen cloth, silken stuff, golden vessels, and soft cushions, he piled up all round about.
Then he poured ship's tar over all, and covered it with withered brushwood, and dry chips from the kitchen.
And he ordered all sail to be set--a strong warm south wind was blowing--
Then he mounted upon the upper deck, and overlooked all.
And he nodded his head, well satisfied. And then he descended to the kitchen, to bring up a burning brand.
When he came up again he found that the sailors had lowered the two ship's boats, the larger and the smaller boat, they lay tossing by the boat ropes, to the right and left of the Singing Swan.
"Hasten, my lord," cried one of the seamen to him; "so soon as thou hast thrown the torch, to spring into a boat; for rapidly, in this gale, will the Singing Swan flame up, and easily might the fire seize the boats, and cause both thee and all of us to perish."