and arrows at his
unarmoured breast. It was going hardly with him, when Hugh the Raven,
hearing and understanding the cries of the assailants, called his
brothers to their lord's aid, and they all joined the fight so
furiously that, long ere day, of the sixty men who had attacked the
inn not one remained alive.

In the morning news was brought to Jarl Ubbe that his stranger
guest had slain sixty of the best of his soldiery.

"What can this mean?" said Ubbe. "I had better go and see to it
myself, for any messenger would surely treat Havelok discourteously,
and I should be full loath to do that." He rode away to the house of
Bernard Brown, and asked the meaning of its damaged and battered
appearance.

"My lord," answered Bernard Brown, "last night at moonrise there came
a band of sixty thieves who would have plundered my house and bound me
hand and foot. When Havelok and his companions saw it they came to my
aid, with sticks and stones, and drove out the robbers like dogs from
a mill. Havelok himself slew three at one blow. Never have I seen a
warrior so good! He is worth a thousand in a fray. But alas! he is
grievously wounded, with three deadly gashes in side and arm and
thigh, and at least twenty smaller wounds. I am scarcely harmed at
all, but I fear he will die full soon."

Ubbe could scarcely believe so strange a tale, but all the bystanders
swore that Bernard told nothing but the bare truth, and that the whole
gang of thieves, with their leader, Griffin the Welshman, had been
slain by the hero and his small party. Then Ubbe bade them bring
Havelok, that he might call a leech to heal his wounds, for if the
stranger merchant should live Jarl Ubbe would without fail dub him
knight; and when the leech had seen the wounds he said the patient
would make a good and quick recovery. Then Ubbe offered Havelok and
his wife a dwelling in his own castle, under his own protection, till
Havelok's grievous wounds were healed. There, too, fair Goldborough
would be under the care of Ubbe's wife, who would cherish her as her
own daughter. This kind offer was accepted gladly, and they all went
to the castle, where a room was given them next to Ubbe's own.

At midnight Ubbe woke, aroused by a bright light in Havelok's room,
which was only separated from his own by a slight wooden partition. He
was vexed suspecting his guest of midnight wassailing, and went to
inquire what villainy might be hatching. To his surprise, both husband