TheSonsoftheVikingswereallmountedonponies;andWolf—in—the—Temple，whohadbeenelectedchieftain，ledthetroop.AthissiderodeSkull—Splitter，whowasyetatriflepaleafterhisblood—letting，butbrimmingoverwithambitiontodistinguishhimself.Theyhadalltiedtheirtrouserstotheirlegswithleatherthongs，inordertobeperfectly\"OldNorse;\"
andsomeofthemhadturnedtheirplaidsandsummerovercoatsinsideout，displayingthegorgeouscolorsofthelining.
Looselyattachedabouttheirnecksandflyinginthewind，thesecouldeasilyserveforscarletorpurplecloakswroughtonSyrianlooms.Mostoftheboyscarriedalsowoodenswordsandshields，andthechiefhadalongloororAlpinehorn.OnlythevaliantIronbeard，whosefatherwasamilitaryman，hadarealswordandarealscabbardintothebargain.Wolf—in—the—Temple，andErlingtheLop—Sided，hadeachanoldfowling—piece;andBrumle—Knutecarriedadouble—barrelledrifle.This，tobesure，wasnot;
quitehistoricallycorrect;butfirearmsaresousefulinthewoods，eveniftheyarenotcorrect，thatitwasresolvednottonoticetheirregularity;fortherewereboarsinthemountains，besideswolvesandfoxesandnoendofsmallergame.
Foranhourormoretheprocessionrode，singlefile，upthesteepandruggedmountain—paths;buttheboyswereallinhighspiritsandenjoyedthemselveshugely.ThemerefactthattheywereVikings，onadaringforagingexpeditionintoaneighboringkingdom，impartedawonderfulzesttoeverythingtheydidandsaid.Itmightbefoolish，butitwasonthataccountnonethelessdelightful.Theysentoutscoutstowatchfortheapproachofanimaginaryenemy;theyhadsecretpass—wordsandsigns;theyswore（Vikingstyle）byThor’shammerandbyOdin’seye.Theytalkedappallingnonsensetoeachotherwithadelicioussentimentofitsawfulblood—curdlingcharacter.ItwasaboutnoonwhentheyreachedtheStrandholmsaeter，whichconsistedofthreeturf—thatchedlog—cabinsorchalets，surroundedbyagreeninclosureofhalfadozenacres.Thewidehighlandplain，eightortenmileslong，wasboundedonthenorthandwestbythrongsofsnow—hoodedmountainpeaks，whichrose，onebehindanother，inglitteringgrandeur;andinthemiddleoftheplainthereweretwolakesortarns，connectedbyariverwhichwasmilkywhitewhereitenteredthelakesandclearascrystalwhereitescaped.