fear from any of the others; and as he thought hard for a plan,
the king, who had for some time been fast asleep, suddenly solved
the difficulty. He woke with a start, saw that the drink was
coming to an end, and cried with drunken ardour,--

"More ale, more ale, Thorar! Estein drinks not!"

Thorar glanced round and saw that no one but himself was capable
of going on the errand. Twice he called aloud on servants by their
names, but there came no answer. Then with a frown he rose and
walked down the hall.

The high table at which they sat was lit by two great torches set
on stands. While Thorar was still going down the room, Estein,
with a deliberately clumsy movement, upset and extinguished the
one nearest him. Casting a look over his shoulder, he saw the
lawman leave the hall at the far end; and then he rose to his
feet, and making an affectation of relighting the extinguished
torch from the other, put the second out, and in the sudden half-
darkness that ensued, slipped under the board, and ran on his
hands and feet for the door at that end of the hall. No one about
seemed to notice his departure, but just as he carefully opened
the door he thought he saw with the corner of his eye a man slip
out at the far end.




CHAPTER XI.