ved her so wise in words. That she is the most beautiful
of women, all the world knows; but I have always supposed that her
wit stopped with her temper, which is suspected to be shorter than her
hair."

Rothgar grunted scornfully. "It is easy for a fool to speak some wisdom
if she keeps her tongue moving all the time."

Laughing, the Norwegian plunged again into the general discussion; and
the son of Lodbrok stood listening discontentedly, while he kept a sharp
watch of the low-browed entrance.

Presently his patience was rewarded. Within the hut there arose all
at once a duet of voices, half angrily accusing, half laughingly
protesting. Then the chess-board came flying through the doorway,
followed by a handful of chessmen and the person of the big good-natured
Jarl, still uttering his laughing protests. And finally Canute himself
stood under the lintel, storming through his laughter.

"Blockhead, that you cannot keep your thoughts on what you are doing!
One might expect as good a game from the tumbler's dog. Is it the drink
that you have got into your head, or the war matters that you cannot get
out? You deserve--"

"To lose the honor of playing with the King," the Jotun broke in, making
a long step forward. "Be so good as to allow me to take his place, lord.
I have some words for your ear which are worth a hearing."

"Rothgar!" the King exclaimed with great cordiality, and stepped from
the doorway to meet him. "Willingly do I make the change, for I have
been wishing to speak with you this last hour. I have thought of a
fine plan for to-morrow's sport." Laying his arm boy-fashion across his
foster-brother's shoulders, he swung him around toward the river. "But
we will not go in there to do our talking. We will walk along the shore.
To-night I feel as though I could walk to the rainbow-bridge." He shook
back his headful of long hair and drew a deep breath, like a man from
whom a burden has been lifted.

As they strolled beside the moonlit water, the son of Lodbrok listened
in secret amazement to the string of plans that unfolded itself,--hunts
and horse-races, swimming matches and fishing trips.

"But where will you get the fishing tackle, lord? And the hawks and
the hounds for all this?" he ventured presently. They were some little
distance up the bank now, where trees screened them from the camp-fires.
Suddenly the young King made a leaping grab at a bough overhead and hung
by it, looking down at his compani