that wake him I must, for I liked not to slay a sleeping man, even
though he stood upon his feet. He looked upon me like a startled
cow, and said, 'You are a cursed Norseman.' 'It would seem so,
indeed,' I replied, and thereupon ran him through with my blade
and opened the gate. Then a plan both humorous and ingenious came
upon my mind, for my wits were strangely sharp. I laid the man out
under the shadow of the fence, where he could not well be seen
save by such as had more clearness of vision than becomes the
guests of so hospitable a monarch as King Bue, and having stripped
him of his coat and put it round mine own shoulders, I took his
place and awaited your coming."

"Singing all the while?" said Estein.

"Softly and to myself," replied Helgi; "for what is becoming
enough in a guest is not always so well suited to a sentinel.
There I stood, stamping my feet and beating my arms upon my breast
to keep the cold away, till I began to think that something was
amiss."

"Then while I was scaling the wall at one end of the court, you
were guarding the gate at the other!" exclaimed Estein.

"So it would appear now, though I pledge you my word I had no
thought of such a thing as I watched that gate last night. In
truth, what I had done began to seem to me so plainly the best
thing to do, that I thought you would surely follow my movements
in your mind--so far as drink allowed you, and come straightway to
the gate in full confidence of finding me on duty. I see now that
your plan had its merits, though I still maintain that mine was