so I slew the lad. Now this will be the end
of me if King Hrollaug hears of it, because we have only a small force
here."

Next morning when Sifka came to the Queen, the Queen asked her why
Heithrek had been depressed. She said that she did not dare to tell.
But the Queen persuaded her to change her mind, so she told the Queen
all that Heithrek had told her.

"These are terrible tidings," cried the Queen, and went off in deep
grief and told the King; but she added:

"Yet Heithrek has done this against his will."

"Your advice has turned out as I expected," said the King as he left
the hall to give orders to his men to arm.

Heithrek had a shrewd notion as to what Sifka had said, and ordered
his men to arm themselves secretly, and then to go out in small
detachments and try to find out what was happening.

A little later King Hrollaug came in and asked Heithrek to come and
have a private talk with him. And when they entered a garden, some men
sprang at Heithrek and seized him and cast him into fetters and bound
him securely; and he recognised the two men who bound him most tightly
as the men whose lives he had saved. The King ordered him to be taken
to the forest and hanged. There were two hundred and forty of them all
told, and when they entered the forest, King Heithrek's men sprang out
at them with his weapons and standard and a trumpet which they blew
as they attacked their foes. Their companions concealed in the woods
heard the noise and came out to meet King Heithrek's men. And when the
natives saw that, they all took to their heels; but most of them were
slain. The Goths took their King and released him. Heithrek went to
his ships after that, taking with him the King's son whom he had left
with the men concealed in the wood.

King Hrollaug now summoned a very large force, and King Heithrek
raided in his kingdom wherever he went.

Then said King Hrollaug to the Queen:

"Your advice has turned out badly for me. I find that our son is with
Heithrek, and in his present state of anger he will think nothing
of making an end of him in his criminal way, just as he slew his own
innocent brother."

"We have been far too easily convinced," replied the Queen. "You saw
how popular he was, when no-one would fetter him except two bad men;
and our son is taken good care of. This has been a trick of his to
make trial of you, and you offered him a poor return for bringing up
your child. Send men to him now, and offer