Ketill under Jomar's guidance, and little time was lost in getting
to bed. They went up to the loft by the ladder, heard Atli open a
door and evidently enter some inner room, then being very drowsy
after the cold air, shortly fell asleep.

Yet the night was not to pass without incident. Helgi knew not how
long he had been asleep, when he woke with a shiver, to find that
his blankets had slipped off him. He gathered them over him again,
and then lay for a few minutes listening to the rising wind. As it
beat up in mournful gusts and soughed through the pines, he said
to himself, "The frost has left at last, and thankful am I for
that." He was just dropping off to sleep again, when his attention
was startled into wakefulness by a knock at the outer door. It was
repeated twice, and then he heard Jomar rise with much growling,
and go softly across the floor. There followed a parley apparently
through a closed door, which ended in a bolt shooting back, and
the door opening with a whistle of wind. So far he had been in
that half-waking state when things produce a confused and almost
monstrous impression, but suddenly his wits were startled into
quickness. Among several voices that seemed to talk with Jomar,
his ear all at once caught a woman's. Even the approach of an
enemy could not have made him more alert. He listened keenly and,
with a sensible feeling of disappointment, heard the door close,
the noise cease, and Jomar's steps quietly cross the floor again.
This time, however, they went right to the other end of the room,
and an inner door opened. He thought he caught Atli's tones
answering his sullen servant, and presently he heard two men come
out and go to the outer door. Again, with a blast of cold draught,
it opened, and the talk began a second time. His curiosity was
keenly excited; he could pick out a woman's voice most