ened.
For I looked, as I think many looked, to see the blood start from
the wound that he had given the jarl, but it was not so. There was
no sign. Then crossed my mind the first doubt that I had had that
Beorn was guilty. Yet I knew he lied in some things, and the doubt
passed away quickly.

Then Ulfkytel pushed away the table from before him so that it fell
over.

"Take these men away," he said. "I have heard and seen enough. I
will think!"

They led us away to the cells again, and I wondered how all this
would end. In an hour they brought us back, and set us in our
places again. The earl had more to say, as it seemed.

"Will you two pay the weregild {xi} between you?"

"No, Lord Earl," I said; "that were to confess guilt, which would
be a lie."

Then Beorn cried:

"I pray you, Wulfric, let us pay and have done!"

But I turned from him in loathing.

"Ho, Master Falconer," said Ulfkytel, "the man is an outlander! To
whom will you pay it? To Wulfric who saved his life?"

Now at that Beorn was dumb, seeing that the earl had trapped him
very nearly, and he grew ashy pale, and the great earl scowled at
him.

"Let me have trial by battle," I said quietly, thinking that it
would be surely granted.

There was as good reason to suspect me as Beorn, as I saw.

"Silence, Wulfric!" said the earl. "That is for me to say."

"Let the king judge, I pray you, Lord Earl," I went on, for he
spoke in no angry tone, nor looked at me.

However, that angered him, for, indeed, it was hard to say whether
king or earl was more powerful in East Anglia. Maybe Eadmund's
power came by love, and that of the earl by the strong hand. But
the earl was most loyal.

"What!" he said in a great voice, "am I not earl? And shall the
king be troubled with common manslayers while I sit in his seat of
justice? Go to! I am judge, and will answer to the king for what I
do."

So I was silent, waiting for what should come next.

But he forgot me in a minute, and seemed to be thinking.

At last he said:

"One of these men is guilty, but I know not which."

And so he summed up all that he had heard, and as he did so it
seemed, even to me, that proofs of guilt were evenly balanced, so
that once again I half thought that Beorn might be wronged in the
accusation, as I was.

"So," he ended, "friend has slain friend, and friends have fought,
and there is no question of a third man in the matter."

He looked round on the honest faces with