he fleshy part of Hake's back. The effect was
instantaneous! Hake could face danger and death bravely, and could hurl
defiance at his foe with the best, when on his legs; but when he felt
the point of the cold steel, and knew that the smallest impulse would
cause it to find a warm bed in his heart, his fury vanished. Brave and
bold though he was, and a berserk to boot, he sank quietly down, and lay
perfectly still!

Erling at once relaxed the pressure of his fingers, and allowed Hake to
breathe, but he let the point of the knife remain, that it might refresh
his memory, while he read him a lesson:--

"Now, Hake, let me tell thee that thou richly deservest to lose thy
life, for twice hast thou sought to take mine in an unfair way, and once
have I spared thine. However, thou art but a tool after all, so I will
spare it again--and I do it the more readily that I wish thee to convey
a message to thy master, King Harald, who, I doubt not, has sent thee on
this foul errand."

Erling here signalled to his foot-boy, whom he directed to bind Hake's
arms securely behind his back. This having been done, Erling suffered
him to rise and stand before him.

"See now," he said, taking a silver ring from his finger, "knowest thou
this ring, Hake? Ah, I see by thy look that thou dost. Well, I will
return it to thee and claim mine own."

He turned the berserk round, took off the gold ring which he had placed
on his finger on the day of the fight and put the silver one in its
place.

"By these tokens," said he, "thou mayest know who it was that cared for
thee in the wood after the fight, and restored thy consciousness,
instead of cutting off thy head, as he might easily have done. I know
not why I did it, Hake, save that the fancy seized me, for thou art an
undeserving dog. But now we will take thee back to thy master, and as
our message can be conveyed without the use of speech, we will bind up
thy mouth."

So saying, Erling gagged the berserk (who looked dreadfully sulky) with
a strip of sailcloth. Then he made him sit down, and tied his legs
together with a piece of rope, after which he lifted him in his arms to
the side of the ship and laid him down.

"Go fetch me a stout carle," he said to the foot-boy, who went forward
and immediately returned with a strapping man-at-arms.

The man looked surprised, but asked no questions, as Erling directed him
in a low tone to assist in lifting the prisoner into the boat as qui