the better."

"Saving only in so far as it left me at the trysting-place alone,"
said Estein.

"And me to shiver at the gate," answered Helgi, with a laugh.
"Well, after a time, which seemed long enough, though doubtless a
shorter space than I thought, the hall door opened, and men rushed
out with much needless uproar. Then, I must confess, I e'en left
my post with all the haste I could, and concealed me in the
outbuildings of a small house close without the gate. The door was
open, but it was so pitch black inside that I knew they could not
see me, though them I saw plainly enough as they stopped at the
gate."

"Who were they?" asked Estein.

"The black traitor Thorar, and with him some ten or twelve others,
doubtless all the sober men at the feast. It took them but a short
space to find the dead sentinel; and thereupon Thorar, who seemed
almost beside himself with anger, sent the others off in haste to
intercept our road to Ketill, while he himself ran to collect a
force from the village. Then I bethought me it was well to have
company on the road, so I even joined myself to my pursuers.
Luckily they went not by the open glade, but kept a path well
shaded and very dark, and for the best part of an hour we must
have run together through the wood.

"At last we reached a solitary woodman's house, and there for a
brief space we paused to inquire of the good man whether he had