As I had come to know that Kari never did anything without a reason and
remembered that I was in a strange country where, lacking him, I should
not have lived or could continue to do so, I fell into his humour.
Moreover, I promised that I would remain still and neither speak,
nor smile, nor rise from my chair unless he bade me. So there I sat
glittering in the hot sunshine which burned me through the armour.
Then Kari went ashore and was absent for some time. At length among the
trees and undergrowth I heard the sound of people talking in a strange
tongue. Presently they appeared on the bank of the creek, a great number
of them, very curious people, brown-skinned with long, lank black hair
and large eyes, but not over-tall in stature; men, women and children
together.
Among them were some who wore white robes whom I took to be their
gentlefolk, but the most of them had only cloths or girdles about their
middles. Leading the throng was Kari, who, as it appeared from the
bushes, waved his hand and pointed me out seated in the shining armour
on the ship, the visor up to show my face and the long sword in my hand.
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