SOME YEARS AGO I came upon the historical story of the discovery of America by Leif Ericsson in A by prefered Read Free Book Online Page B

your country is a better one than this. (She rouses, and picks up the net.) There is a good pool down below that rapid, but we must get over to the other bank.
    (They turn and splash knee-deep through the water, laughing together. Leif takes her hand to help her through a deep bit.)
    [DISSOLVE TO:
    Hill Overlooking Leif's Camp
    ( It is evening. Thorgunna and Leif come up to the crest and see the ship upon the beach below them, and the camp, not very far away. Leif is carrying the net upon his back; it is full of fish. They stop on the crest of the hill. )
    THORGUNNA I will not come down to the camp with you; I will go home from here.
    LEIF (Taking her hand) Lady, I have to thank you for two things; for these fish, and for a very happy day. Shall we meet again?
    THORGUNNA I know where there are seagulls' eggs on the rock face. Do your men like those?
    LEIF Lady, my chaps will eat anything from seaweed to a bit of walrus hide. If they could get eggs now and then it would be fine.
    THORGUNNA I can show you where those are, if you like. We might meet out here.
    LEIF To-morrow—two hours after sunrise? ( They smile at each other. )
    [DISSOLVE TO:
    The Cliff
    ( Leif and Thorgunna are seen clambering about on the face of a cliff, with the sea beating upon rocks hundreds of feet below them. The effect should be one of terrifying height They do not consider it dangerous; they have a woven fish basket with them and they are gathering seagulls' eggs. They are chatting and laughing together. )
    LEIF There's a slippery bit here; be careful how you come.
    THORGUNNA Be careful yourself, or else give me the eggs.
    LEIF (Looking at the sea far below him) If I fell down there I don't suppose I'd worry much about the eggs. I might bounce once upon that sticking out bit, but then it's a clear drop down to the rocks.
    (Thorgunna is standing on a rocky ledge. She is leaning a little against the rock wall behind her, and she is staring at the far horizon, motionless. All the gaiety has gone from her, and her face is set and expressionless.)
    THORGUNNA Leif, you mustn't fall.
    LEIF (Turning to look at her) Of course not. Hullo—what's the matter?
    THORGUNNA (Motionless) You mustn't fall. ( Leif goes to her quickly, and takes her hand. )
    LEIF Thorgunna, what's the matter? Are you feeling queer?
    THORGUNNA (Looking down at his hand holding hers) I—I don't quite know.
    LEIF We'll sit and rest a bit. This isn't a very good place to feel faint, you know. Wake up.
    THORGUNNA (Passing her hand over her eyes) I'm all right. I thought ... oh, I don't know what I thought.
    LEIF We'll knock off for a bit, and get up to the cliff top, and sit down.
    THORGUNNA If you like.
    [DISSOLVE TO:
    The Cliff Top
    ( This is an open, grassy slope high above the sea, sunny and windswept. Thorgunna and Leif are sitting close together.)
    LEIF What happened down there, Thorgunna? Did you feel ill?
    THORGUNNA No—not ill. I just got a—a sort of feeling that you mustn't fall. It seemed to be so urgent . . . suddenly. (Turns to him) I don't suppose you can understand.
    LEIF (Grinning) I've a kind of idea that I do.
    THORGUNNA (Laughing) It wasn't that. It wasn't anything to do with us. ( Seriously) It was bigger than that. It seemed to be terribly important, suddenly, that nothing should happen to you. Not only to me.
    LEIF ( Puzzled ) Who to, then?
    THORGUNNA {With wonder in her voice) Sort of-to the world. To every man and every woman still unborn, living in countries far beyond our own that we know nothing about. It seemed to me that if you fell, something would be lost to all those unborn people we shall never know, and God would grieve for them, and I should grieve with God.
    LEIF You're a queer girl, Thorgunna.
    THORGUNNA That's what they used to say about my mother.
    LEIF I never met any one like you before. I never before met any woman that I could—respect.
    THORGUNNA (Gravely) If I repeated that it would sound silly, but it would be true.
    LEIF (Putting his arm