old place was now a smoking ruin, with
swarms of men around it, most of whom were busily engaged in trying to
put out the fire, and save as much as possible from its fury. The man
who had kindled it had already paid dearly for his jest with his life.
His body was seen swinging to the limb of a neighbouring tree. Harald
Fairhair himself, having just arrived, was directing operations.

There were by that time one or two thousand of the King's men on the
ground, while others were arriving every moment in troops--all
bloodstained, and covered with marks of the recent conflict--and Erling
saw at once he had no chance whatever of accomplishing his aim by an
open attack with only fifty men. He therefore led his force silently by
a path that he well knew to an adjacent cliff, over the edge of which
they could see all that went on below, while they were themselves well
concealed. Here the three leaders held a consultation.

"What dost thou advise, Ulf?" asked Erling.

"_My_ advice," interposed Glumm fiercely, "is that we should make a
sudden assault without delay, kill the King, and then sell our lives
dearly."

"And thus," observed Ulf, with something like a sneer, "leave the girls
without protectors, and without a chance of deliverance. No," he
continued, turning to our hero, "my advice is to wait here as patiently
as we can until we ascertain where the girls are. Few, perhaps none, of
our men are known to Harald's men; one of them we can send down to
mingle with the enemy as a spy. Whatever we do must be done cautiously,
for the sake of the girls."

"That is good advice," said a voice behind them, which was that of the
hermit, who had crept towards them on his hands and knees.

"Why, Christian, whence comest thou?" said Ulf.

"From my own hut," replied the hermit, raising himself, "where I have
just left Hilda and Ada safe and well. We had deemed ourselves
prisoners there till night should set us free; but necessity sharpens
the wit even of an old man, and I have discovered a path through the
woods, which, although difficult, may be traversed without much chance
of our being seen, if done carefully. I have just passed along it in
safety, and was on the point of returning to the hut when I came upon
you here."

"Lead us to them at once," cried Glumm, starting up.

"Nay," said the hermit, laying his hand on the youth's arm, "restrain
thine ardour. It would be easier to bring the girls hither, than to
lead a