was no reason to say more than that we were blown off the English
coast. What Beorn would say I knew not; most likely he would lie,
but if so, things must work themselves out.

I looked at the man in whose house I was, and was pleased with him.
Red haired and blue eyed he was, with a square, honest face and
broad shoulders, and his white teeth shone beneath a red beard that
covered half his face.

When he had eaten even more than I, he laughed loudly, saying that
brother Rolf would have to go short this time, and then came and
sat by the fire over against me, and waited for me to say my say.

So I told him how we had come, and at that he stared at me as our
folk stared at Lodbrok, and started up, crying that he must go and
see this staunch boat that had served me so well.

"Bide here and rest," he said, "and I will bring your comrade to
you," and with that he swung out of the house, taking the dog with
him. And at once the thought of leaving the hut and plunging into
the forest came into my mind, but I knew not why I should do so,
except that I would not see Beorn again. However, there was a third
man now, and I would see what befell him.

Now I waited long, and had almost fallen asleep beside the warm
fire, when I heard a horn away in the woods, and roused up to
listen. Twice or thrice it sounded, and then I heard it answered
from far off. So I supposed that there was a hunt going on.

Then I heard no more, and fell asleep in earnest; for I needed rest