eld me
prisoner.

Yet I despaired not altogether, for already I had gone through much
danger, and my strength had not failed me.

Now, how I spent the daylight hours of that imprisonment any
Christian man may know, seeing that I looked for naught but death.
And at last, when darkness fell, I heard low voices talking outside
for a little while, and I supposed that a watch was set, for the
cell door opened to the courtyard from the back of the great house.

Now I thought I would try to sleep, for the darkness was very
great, and just as I lay down in a corner the barring of the door
was moved, and the door opened gently.

"Do you sleep, Wulfric?" said Halfden's voice, speaking very low.

"What is it, brother?" I asked in as low a voice, for I had not
been a viking for naught.

I saw his form darken the gray square of the doorway, and he came
in and swung to the door after him; then his hand sought my
shoulder, and I heard a clank of arms on the floor.

"See here, Wulfric," he said, "you are in evil case; for all
Rorik's men and the men from outside are calling for your death;
they say that Rorik had no luck against you because the Asir are
angry, and that so it will be with all the host until you have paid
penalty."

"What say you and our crew?"

"Why, we had good luck with you on board, and hold that Rorik had
done somewhat which set Thor against him, for he got shipwrecked,
and now is killed. So we know that your ways do not matter to Thor
or Odin or any one of the Asir, who love a good fighter. But we
know not why you are so obstinate; still that is your business, not
ours."

"What says Ingvar?" I asked.

"Naught; but he is godar."

"Aye," said I. "So I must die, that is all. What said Ragnar
Lodbrok about that?"

And I spoke to him the brave words that his forefather sang as he
died, and which he loved:

"Whether in weapon play
Under the war cloud,
Full in the face of Death
Fearless he fronts him,
Death is the bane of
The man who is bravest,
He loveth life best who
Furthest from danger lives.
Sooth is the saying that
Strongest the Norns are.
Lo! at my life's end
I laugh--and I die."

"Nay, my brother," said Halfden earnestly; "think of me, and of
Osritha, and seem to bow at least."

That word spoken by my friend was the hardest I ever had to bear,
for now I was drawn by the love that had been so newly given me.
And I put my hands before my face and thought, while he went on:

"If I wer