sheaf of arrows; and then, after a most kindly parting with his
goodwife, I made him set me on my way to Ketill. He liked not the
job over much, yet he dared not refuse, and so we started. I
shrewdly suspected, from my memory of the way I had come
overnight, that he was leading me back to King Bue's hall, and
meant on our parting to put a horde of his rascally fellows in my
way. I cared little, however, for I had mine own ending for our
walk. When we had gone a little way I stopped and said to him,--

"'My friend, I am loth to lose your company, but here is the
parting of our ways. Mine I need not trouble you with, but yours
for a space will lead you little further in any direction.' And
with that I bound him firmly to a tree, and left him to think upon
his misdeeds. Since then, Estein, I have wandered through these
forests like a man in a fog, cursing roundly the land and all its
inhabitants."

"Yet it would seem that it is they who have most reason to
complain of your dealings with them," said Estein, smiling.

"I would I were well quit of the land," replied his friend. "My
heart felt glad when I saw in the glade a man habited after the
fashion of the natives. 'There will be one less Jemtlander to-
night,' I said, as I laid an arrow on my bow. 'By all the gods,
Estein, I shall laugh whenever I think of it!

"But tell me your adventures."

Estein told him shortly what had befallen him, excepting only his
seeing the girl in the village. He had made up his mind that the