Chapter L: Lamprey

_Author of "In the Days of the Guild", "Masters of the Guild", etc._

ILLUSTRATED BY

FLORENCE CHOATE and ELIZABETH CURTIS

NEW YORK FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY PUBLISHERS

_Copyright, 1921, by_

FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY

_All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages_

_Made in the United States of America_

TO FORESTA

Upon the road to Faerie,
O there are many sights to see,--
Small woodland folk may one discern
Housekeeping under leaf and fern,
And little tunnels in the grass
Where caravans of goblins pass,
And airy corsair-craft that float
On wings transparent as a mote,--
All sorts of curious things can be
Upon the road to Faerie!

Along the wharves of Faerie--
There all the winds of Christendie
Are musical with hawk-bell chimes,
Carillons rung to minstrels' rimes,
And silver trumpets bravely blown
From argosies of lands unknown,
And the great war-drum's wakening roll--
The reveillé of heart and soul--
For news of all the ageless sea
Comes to the quays of Faerie!

Across the fields to Faerie
There is no lack of company,--
The world is real, the world is wide,
But there be many things beside.
Who once has known that crystal spring
Shall not lose heart for anything.
The blessing of a faery wife
Is love to sweeten all your life.
To find the truth whatever it be--
That is the luck of Faerie!

_Above the gates of Faerie
There bends a wild witch-hazel tree.
The fairies know its elfin powers.
They wove a garland of the flowers,
And on a misty autumn day
They crowned their queen--and ran away!
And by that gift they made you free
Of all the roads of Faerie!_

CONTENTS

PAGE
_To Foresta_ v

I ASGARD THE BEAUTIFUL (1348) 1 _The Viking's Secret_ 17

II THE RUNES OF THE WIND-WIFE (1364) 18 _The Navigators_ (1415-1460) 34

III SEA OF DARKNESS (1475) 35 _Sunset Song_ 48

IV PEDRO AND HIS ADMIRAL (1492) 50 _The Queen's Prayer_ 65

V THE MAN WHO COULD NOT DIE (1493-1494) 66 _The Escape_ 80

VI LOCKED HARBORS (1497) 81 _Gray Sails_ 93

VII LITTLE VENICE (1500) 94 _The Gold Road_ 104

VIII THE DOG WITH TWO MASTERS (1512) 105 _Cold o' the Moon_ (1519) 117

IX WAMPUM TOWN (1508-1524) 121 _The Drum_ 133

X THE GODS OF TAXMAR (1512-1519) 134 _The Legend of Malinche_ 148

XI THE THUNDER BIRDS (1519-1520) 150 _Moccasin Flower_ 165

XII GIFTS FROM NORUMBEGA (1533-1535) 167 _The Mustangs_ 181

XIII THE WHITE MEDICINE MAN (1528-1536) 182 _Lone Bayou_ (1542) 195

XIV THE FACE OF THE TERROR (1564) 197 _The Destroyers_ 214

XV THE FLEECE OF GOLD (1561-1577) 215 _A Watch-dog of England_ (1583) 237

XVI LORDS OF ROANOKE (1584) 238 _The Changelings_ 250

XVII THE GARDENS OF HELÊNE (1607-1609) 252 _The Wooden Shoe_ 269

XVIII THE FIRES THAT TALKED (1610) 270 _Imperialism_ 282