t-hall, and
shaking weapons when there is no foeman anigh? Are they dreaming-drunk
before the wine is poured? Why do they not sit down in their places, and
abide the bringing in of the meat? And ye women, where are ye, why do ye
delay our meat, when ye may well wot that our hearts are drooping for
hunger; and all hath been duly done, the battle of the champions fought
and won, and the prize of war given forth and taken? How long, O folk,
shall your chieftains sit fasting?"

Then there arose great laughter in the hall, and men withdrew them from
those twain and went and sat them down in their places.

Then the chieftain said: "Come up hither, I say, O Hallblithe, and bring
thy war-thrall with thee if thou wilt. But delay not, unless it be so
that thou art neither hungry nor thirsty; and good sooth thou shouldst be
both; for men say that the ravens are hard to satisfy. Come then and
make good cheer with us!"

So Hallblithe thrust his sword into the sheath, and the Puny Fox did the
like, and they went both together up the hall to the high-seat. And
Hallblithe sat down on the chieftain's right hand, and the Puny Fox next
to him; and the chieftain, the Erne, said: "O Hallblithe, dost thou need
thine armour at table; or dost thou find it handy to take thy meat clad
in thy byrny and girt with a sword?"

Then laughed Hallblithe and said: "Nay, meseemeth to-night I shall need
war-gear no more." And he stood up and did off all his armour and gave
it, sword and all, into the hands of a woman, who bore it off, he knew
not whither. And the Erne looked on him and said: "Well is that! and now
I see that thou art a fair young man, and it is no marvel though maidens
desire thee."

As he spake came in the damsels with the victual and the cheer was
exceeding good, and Hallblithe grew light-hearted.

But when the healths had been drunk as aforetime, and men had drunk a cup
or two thereafter, there rose a warrior from one of the endlong benches,
a big young man, black-haired and black-bearded, ruddy of visage, and he
said in a voice that was rough and fat: "O Erne, and ye other chieftains,
we have been talking here at our table concerning this guest of thine who
hath beguiled us, and we are not wholly at one with thee as to thy
dealings with him. True it is, now that the man hath our meat in his
belly, that he must depart from amongst us with a whole skin, unless of
his own will he stand up to fight some man of us here. Yet