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Updated: June 17, 2025
Everything was blurred before my eyes, for it was only then that the full realisation came upon me that the man at the rudder the man who held all our lives in his hands was half-crazed. The crew nudged each other and chortled. They'd seen all this before. She was running aground heading straight for the reef, a total loss, said Hrolfur, a total loss, I tell you.
It wasn't long before the rumour spread that old Hrolfur was crazy, and for a long time hardly anyone dared to go to sea with him. Now, that's all a thing of the past, said Eric and smiled. Nowadays there are always more who would like to go with him than he can take. And does he catch plenty of fish? Yes, he rarely fails. Isn't he quite well-off then? I don't know.
After waiting for a while, watching his opportunity, Hrolfur suddenly let her go at full speed once more. Now the moment had come a moment I shall never forget nor probably any of us who were in the boat with him. It was not fear that gripped us but something more like excitement before a battle. Yet, if the choice had been mine, we should have turned back from the creek that day.
All four of us were lying down on the windward side, but to leeward the foam still bubbled up over the rowlocks. If you think we're not going fast enough, lads, you'd better start rowing but no extra pay, said old Hrolfur, grinning. We all took his joke well, and I felt that it brought me nearer to the old man; up to then I'd been just a little scared of him.
Hrolfur's son and one other on board had been drowned, though the rest were saved. After the disaster Hrolfur ignored everybody for a long time. It wasn't that he wept or lost heart. Perhaps he had done so for the first few days, but not afterwards. He just kept to himself. He took not the slightest notice of his wife and his other children, just as if they were no longer his concern.
As they prepared to leave, we all three, the farmers from Mular and I, stood there on the rocks to see how Hrolfur would manage. The crew had furled the sails and sat down to the oars, whilst old Hrolfur stood in front of the crossbeam, holding the rudder-line. They weren't rowing though, but held their oars up, waiting for their opportunity.
But if you ever come back to our village again, and old Hrolfur should happen to be on land, come over to Weir and drink a cup of coffee with him black coffee with brown rock-sugar and a drop of brandy in it; that is, if you can bring yourself to do such a thing. This I promised him, and old Hrolfur shook me firmly and meaningfully by the hand as we parted.
The door opened slowly, and a young man in seamen's clothes stood in the doorway. I was asked to tell you that old Hrolfur from Weir will take that chap over there across in his boat, if he likes, said the man, addressing himself to the doctor. We both stood up, the doctor and I, and walked towards the door. That possibility hadn't occurred to either of us.
A joke is always like an outstretched hand. For a long time we hardly spoke. In front of the mast we lay in silence, whilst old Hrolfur was at the stern with the whole length of the boat between us. The crew did all they could to make me comfortable. I lay on some soft sacking just in front of the thwart and kept my head under the gunwale for protection.
We began to talk about old Hrolfur. We spoke in a low voice so that he shouldn't hear what we said. There was, indeed, little danger of his doing so the distance was too great and the storm was bound to carry our words away; but men always lower their voices when they speak of those they can see, even though they are speaking well of them.
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