ad
on the gable of the hall with the mouth open toward the North for a token
of reproach to the dwellers in the land over sea. But now give out the
prize of victory, and I swear by the Treasure of the Sea that we will
abide by thy word."

Said the champion: "These are the terms and conditions of the battle;
that whichso of us is vanquished, he shall either die, or serve the
vanquisher for twelve moons, to fare with him at his will, to go his
errands, and do according to his commandment in all wise. Hearest thou,
chieftain?"

"Yea," said he, "and by the Undying King, both thou and we shall abide by
this bargain. So look to it that thou smite great strokes, lest our hall
lack a gable-knop. Horns, blow up for the alien champion!"

So again the horns were winded; and ere their voice had died, in from the
buttery screens came a glittering image of war, and there stood the alien
champion over against the warrior of the sea; and he too had a vizard
over his face.

Now when the folk saw him, and how slim and light and small he looked
beside their champion, and they beheld the Raven painted on his white
shield, they hooted and laughed for scorn of him and his littleness. But
he tossed his sword up lightly and caught it by the hilts as it fell, and
drew nigher to the champion of the sea and stood facing him within reach
of his sword. Then the chieftain on the high-seat put his two hands to
his mouth and roared out: "Fall on, ye champions, fall on!"

But the folk in the hall were so eager that they stood on the benches and
the boards, and craned over each other's shoulders, so that they might
lose no whit of the hand-play. Now flashed the blades in the candle-lit
hall, and the red-haired champion hove up his sword and smote two great
strokes to right and to left; but the alien gave way before him, and the
folk cried out at him in scorn and in joy of their champion, who fell to
raining down great strokes like the hail amidst the lightning. But so
deft was the alien, that he stood amidst it unhurt, and laid many strokes
on his foeman, and did all so lightly and easily, that it seemed as if he
were dancing rather than fighting; and the folk held their peace and
began to doubt if their huge champion would prevail. Now the red-haired
fetched a mighty stroke at the alien, who leapt aside lightly and gat his
sword in his left hand and dealt a great stroke on the other's head, and
the red-haired staggered, for he had over-re