hat they must be appeased, but it came not from
our crew; and Ingvar stood frowning, but not looking at me for a
space, for he was pulled two ways. As godar he must not pass by the
dishonour to the gods, yet as the son of the man whom I had saved,
how could he harm me? And Rorik, seeing this, cried:

"I hold that this man should live no longer."

"Why, what dishonour has he done the gods?" said Halfden. "If he
had scoffed, or said aught against them--that were a different
thing. And what does Thor there care if one man pays no heed to
him? Surely he can keep his own honour--leave it to him."

"It is dishonour to Thor not to hail him," said Rorik.

Now Ingvar spoke again to me:

"Why do you no honour to the gods?"

"My fathers honoured them, for the godarship was theirs, and would
have been my father's and mine, even as it is yours, Jarl Ingvar.
For good reason they left that honour and chose another way and a
better. And to that way I cleave. I have done despite to no man's
faith--neither to yours nor my own."

At that Rorik lost patience, and lifting his axe, ground his teeth
and said savagely:

"I will even make you honour Thor yonder."

Now at that Halfden saw a chance for me, and at once stayed Rorik's
hand, saying in a loud voice:

"Ho! this is well. Let Wulfric and Rorik fight out this
question--and then the life of him who is slain will surely appease
the gods."

That pleased our crew well, for they had no great love for Rorik,
who had taken too much command on him, for a stranger on board.
Now, too, Ingvar's brows cleared, for he cared nothing for the life
of either of us, so that the gods were satisfied with blood. And he
said:

"So shall it be. Take axes and make short work of it. If Wulfric
can slay Rorik, we know that he is innocent of aught to dishonour
the gods. But if he is slain--then on his head is the blame."

Then he looked round and added:

"Let Guthrum and Hubba see fair play."

Now came Hubba, pleased enough, for he knew my axe play, and that
chief whom they called Guthrum, a square, dark man with a pleasant,
wise face, and took four spears, setting them up at the corners of
a twelve-pace square, between the line of our crew and the altar.

So now it seemed to me that I must fight for our faith, for truth
against falsehood, darkness against light. And I was confident,
knowing this, that the death of one for the faith is often the
greatest victory. So I said:

"I thank you, J