akon of Drontheim."

"Ha!" exclaimed the King, with a bitter smile. "Is it so? Thy father
has met his desert, then, for he now lies at the bottom of the fiord."

Ada turned deadly pale, but made no reply.

"Know ye where Haldor the Fierce is, and his insolent son Erling?" asked
the King.

Hilda flushed at this, and answered with some spirit that she did not
know, and that if she did she would not tell.

"Of course not," said the King; "I might have guessed as much, and do
but waste my time with ye.--Stand aside--bring forward yonder fellow."

The hermit was immediately led forward.

"Who art thou?" asked the King.

"An old wanderer on the face of the earth," replied Christian.

"That is easily seen," answered the King; "but not too old, it would
seem, to do a little mischief when the chance falls in thy way."

"Methinks, sire," whispered Jarl Rongvold, "that this fellow is one of
those strange madmen who have taken up with that new religion, which I
do not profess to understand."

"Sayest thou so?" exclaimed Harald, "then will I test him.--Ho! fetch me
a piece of horse flesh."

A piece of horse flesh was brought without delay, for some that had been
sacrificed in the Drontheim temple had been packed up and carried off
among other provisions when the expedition set forth.

"Here, old man, eat thou a portion of that," said Harald, holding the
flesh towards him.

"I may not eat what has been sacrificed to idols," said the hermit.

"Ho! ho! then thou art not a worshipper of Odin? Say, dog, what art
thou?"

"I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Saviour. To Him I
live, and for Him I can die."

"Can He save you from _me_?" demanded Harald.

"He can," answered the hermit earnestly, "and will save you too, King
Harald, from your sins, and all who now hear me, if they will but turn
to Him."

"Now will I test him," said the King. "Stand forth, Hake of Hadeland,
and hew me the old man's head from his body."

"Spare him! O spare him!" cried Hilda, throwing herself suddenly
between Hake and his victim, who stood with the resigned air of a man
who had made up his mind to die. "He has twice saved _my_ life, and has
never done you evil in thought or deed."

"Stand aside, my pretty maid. Nay, then, if thou wilt not, I must grant
thy request; but it is upon one condition: that this Saviour shall
either come himself or send a champion to deliver the old man.--Come,"
he added, turning fierce