Days of the Discoverers

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 reveille 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 HELENE (1607-1609) 252 The Wooden Shoe 269

XVIII THE FIRES THAT TALKED (1610) 270 Imperialism 282

XIX ADMIRAL OF NEW ENGLAND (1600-1614) 284 The Discoverers 299

BIBLIOGRAPHY 300

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"'I will tell you where there is plenty of it'" (in color) Frontispiece

FACING PAGE

"'And Freya came from Asgard in her chariot drawn by two cats'" (in color) 4

"Nils marked out an inscription in Runic letters" 30

"The miniature globe took form as the children watched, fascinated" 44

"He proposed that Caonaba should put on the gift the Spanish captain had brought" 78

"A sapling, bent down, was attached to a noose ingeniously hidden" 86

"The natives seemed prepared to traffic in all peace and friendliness" (in color) 132

"Cortes flung about his shoulders his own cloak" 146

"Moteczuma awaited them in the courtyard" (in color) 162

"Cartier read from his service-book" 176

"The creatures darkened the plain almost as far as the eye could see" 190

"'Gentlemen, whence does this fleet come?'" 204

"Drake was silent, fingering the slender Milanese poniard" 226

"If he had to wear her fetters, they should at least be golden" 244

"The Grand Master of the day entered the dining hall" 266

DAYS OF THE DISCOVERERS

I

ASGARD THE BEAUTIFUL