A TALE OF THE SEA KINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 2 (Supplement)

A TALE OF THE SEA KINGS.

(Half-crown prize to J. G. Johnson, School House, Awanui; asc 15.) Averness is a little village iu the north-east of Scotlaud. It nestles cosily in a valley formed by two towering mountain crags on the north and south, and a gentle sloping hill to the west. To the east lies the harbour of Haridhu, sometimes bright and smiling, but often, like the heavy breaker increasing in size as a warning of a coining storm, rough and wild, the cold north-east' wind whipping the tops oil' the waves which come like an overflow from the ocean outside. On such days, all is dark and dreary and dismal, the beaiiiews circling round with doleful cries, and the timbers and rigging of the little iisliing smacks seeming to complain to the heavens against a fate which leaves them to weather such natural fury alone and unassisted. The village of Averness itself is unpretentions. Jts main street is cobbled; indeed it would be out of place if it were not. The houses are small though comfortable, the gardens well tended; while all a,round are obvious proofs that the main occupation of the villagers is fishing; which, indeed, could hardly be otherwise, judging by the number of fishing smacks lying anchored near the beach.

It is night and scarcely a light shows in the village. From one cottage, larger than the others, boisterous laughter ami noisy chatter issue. On the little porch formed by a clambering briar and the flat sill of the cottage, lies a row of high sea-boots and old weatherbeaten oilskins. Inside, a huge log fire blazes, men are sitting round drinking island beer, while near a smaller fire a bent old man seems to be holding forth to a small group of fishermen. He is talking about the days when he sailed the seas on the deck of his own boat, and as he talks his face lights up and a strange gleam comes into his eye. ' * ♦ * * "Ho! Davie, and you men, come over and hear what old Andrew is a-telling us." "Ay, boys, I promised you I'd tell you about that -copper shield and helmet a-hanging on that wall over there, and this golden sword here in the corner that Davie wanted to take to Dundee and selL Weel, sit ye around this fire and make yourselves cosy while I'm a-trlling you.

You may have heard that one day my grandfather came home all wet and shivering, and very late, and young Roger that was with him, half daft and murmuring nonsense about kelpies and the like. And you also know that my grandfatlier brought home these things T was talking about, and wouldn't tell anyone about them. Weel, T came across an old letter the other day, and it seems that he got it all written down about it by one of those lawyers in Dundee.

As you know, my grandfather and young Roger went out one day with the rest of the smacks, but a grand storm arose and they were driven out to sea, and you all thought they were lost. Well, this letter says they were battered aud tossed, and their sails torn away, and their cabin staved in when Roger suddenly saw an island ahead. 'My grandfather put the smack about and they ran into a huge sound with big cliffs on each side! Young Roger saw a big cave in one of these clifls, and said to my grandfather to make the smack smjg in it. It was big and roomy, you see, and deep. Well, they put the smack in all right, but suddenly my grandfather noticed another cave with some steps cut in the cliff running up to it. So he called to young Roger and they took a lantern and went up the steps to see what was inside the cave. My grandfather said, "Roger, my lad. someone has been before. us, and you and I are going to find out who." They entered the cave and followed it along, when they saw another one, bigger still. So they went along that one and suddenly they came out into a big room with a hole in the roof, and they could see the sky up above. And they sat down in the middle to rest, you see. But suddenly Roger gave a cry and dragged my grandfather over into a 1 corner and showed him something. It was a skull. My grandfather was a-turning it over when a gold shape droppit out. He picked it up, but Roger told him to put it down and showed him a big heap of gold shapes in a corner, and a copper shield, and swords, and helmets and the like. And my grandfather told Roger they must

have come on a burial ground of the old Vikiugs that liis old father used to tell about, and lie said that they harl better take some away, because they would be worth quite a bit, you see. So they took a shield, and helmet, and a sword, and went and put them in the cabin of their smack. They came back again vou see, and they'd just got into the second cave I was a-telling you about, when they heard a wailing and groaning and hissing, and huge shapes and eyes and skulls came at them from all sides in the darkness, and were just a-going to crush them when suddenly there Mas a big purple flash and the roek they were a-standing on fell away, you see, and they fell and fell into the sea. They could see the smack a little way bit and they swam to it, and young I'oger was jabbering with fear. They dived down into the cabin, but suddenly their boat began to move and they fell over ou to the floor. Weel, this letter says, they were tearing through the water, without sail or oars, ye ken, and they didn't stop till they got to Averness, And Roger said it was the kelpies, flying round the mast and pushing them on away from the island, and my grandfather says the same. So you see, my boys, my grandfather said never to sell that helmet, or shield, or sword, or the kelpies who are guarding those old skulls of the Vikings will become furious and drive the sea over our heads and our village.