{viii} to Thormod the axeman!"

"So," said he; "now stand up and guard a stroke or two; only strike
not as yet, for maybe your axe would go too far," and he smiled
grimly, as in jest.

But I had learned that same trick from the jarl.

Now Lodbrok had told me that when one has a stronger axeman to deal
with than one's self the first thing is to guard well. So he had
spent long hours in teaching me guard after guard, until I could
not fail in them.

"I am ready," I said, standing out before him.

Thormod feinted once or twice, then he let fly at me, striking with
the flat of his axe, as one does when in sport or practice. So I
guarded that stroke as the jarl had taught me; and as I did so the
men shouted:

"Well done, Saxon!"

"No need to go further," said Thormod, dropping his axe and
grasping his wrist with his left hand; for that parry was apt to be
hard on the arm of the man who smote and met it. "That is the
jarl's own parry, and many an hour must he have spent in teaching
you. It is in my mind that he holds that he owes you his life."

And from that time Thormod looked at me in a new way, as I felt.

Halfden was well pleased, and shouted:

"Nay, Thormod; your turn to guard now; let Wulfric smite at you!"

"No, by Thor, that will I not," he said; "he who taught to guard
has doubtless taught to strike, and I would not have my head
broken, even in play!"

Now he sat down, and I said, mindful of Lodbrok's words:

"It seems to me that I have been well taught by the jarl."

"Aye, truly," said Thormod; "he has taught you more than you
think."

Halfden would have me keep his axe, but I told him of that one
which the jarl had made for me, and straightway he sent the boat
for it, and when it came read the runes thereon.

"Now this says that you are right, Thormod! Here has my father
written 'Life for life'--tell us how that was!"

So I said that it was my good fortune to cast him the line that
saved his boat, and that was all. But they made as much of that as
did Lodbrok himself. And when the men came from our ship, they
brought that tale from our men also; so that they made me most
welcome, and I was almost fain to get away from them.

But we sat and talked while the tide went by and turned, and still
we lay at anchor until the stars came out and the night wind began
to sing in the rigging of the great ship.

Now I had thought that surely Halfden would have wished to sail
back to Reedham at once, th