empty drinking horn in his bony hand, sat by the
hearth looking vacantly into the dead embers of the fire. Sweyn the
Silent stood beside him with his thumbs stuck in his leathern girdle;
while Roderic of Gigha sat upon the table facing the door and swinging
his legs to and fro. The light of a hanging cruse lamp shone upon his
long red hair and beard. His strong bare arms were folded, one within
the other, across his broad chest, and the back of his right hand was
splashed with blood that had been partly wiped off upon his under jerkin.

"Which man of you is Earl Roderic of Gigha?" repeated Kenric.

The three looked one to the other with evil smiles. Roderic drank off
what remained in his wine cup.

"I am he," he said coolly as he again folded his arms. "And who, then,
are you who demand to know?"

"Then if you be he," said Kenric, "you are the vilest man that ever
breathed within these walls. Oh, Roderic MacAlpin, unworthy son of a
noble and good prince, you have brought the guilt of blood upon your
father's name! You have slain your own brother, our dear lord and
master; you have shed his life's blood within his own hall. Deceitful
traitor that you are, you came to this peaceful island in the semblance
of a friend. But, by all that I hold sacred, you shall not leave it
again ere you have been duly judged for your foul crime."

A burst of mocking laughter from Roderic greeted this speech.

"And now," added Kenric, turning to the guard, "take me this man as
prisoner to the deepest dungeon. For though he were King Hakon himself
he should not longer remain as a guest in the castle whose shelter he
has abused."

"Let one of those varlets but touch me with his hand," said Roderic,
"and I will break his back across my knee. And you, who are you, my
young knave, that dares to threaten his betters? By St. Olaf, but you
are passing bold to speak of prisoning me in the walls wherein I was
born. Away with you to your couch; this is no hour for bairns to be awake."

Then turning to the lord of Colonsay he said: "Slip you out behind the
young whelp, Sweyn, and bring me the knife you wot of. This is surely
the stripling of whom we heard. He barks passing well; let us see if he
can bite. A few ells of cold steel will speedily settle him, I warrant me."

Earl Sweyn stepped towards the door, but one of the men of Rothesay
bounded forward and caught him in his strong arms, struggled with him
for a moment, and then flung him hea