"Ho, Lord Earl, are these murderers to go forth with gold on arm
and hand?" for we had been stripped of naught but our arms, and I
suppose the man coveted these things.

But the earl answered:

"Which is the murderer? I know not. When his time comes stripped he
will be of life itself. Let the men be," and then in a moment he
asked one by him; "what weapons had Lodbrok when he came?"

"Only a dagger," answered the thane to whom he spoke. "Or so men
say."

"That is true," I said plainly.

"Give the men their daggers," then said the earl; and when one told
him that we should use them on each other, he answered:

"I think they will not; do my bidding!"

So they threw my hunting knife to me, and I girded it on. But
Beorn's dagger fell on the floor of the boat, and he paid no heed
to it, not even turning his head.

Then the earl and three thanes went on board the fishing boat, and
Egfrid would fain have come with him. But I signed him back, and
when the fishermen put out oars and pushed from the shore, towing
us with them, he ran waist deep into the water, and clasped my hand
for the last time, weeping.