urmur of applause rose
from the throng of labourers who had been instantly attracted to the
spot. "Come, I will try my own hand against thee."

Haldor advanced, and, lifting the stone, balanced it for a few moments
in his right hand, then, with a graceful motion and an apparently slight
effort, hurled it forward. It fell a foot beyond Kettle's mark.

Seeing this the thrall leaped forward, seized the stone, ran back to the
line, bent his body almost to the ground, and, exerting himself to the
utmost, threw it into the same hollow from which he had lifted it.

"Equal!" cried Ulf. "Come, Haldor, try again."

"Nay, I will not try until he beats me," replied Haldor with a
good-natured laugh. "But do thou take a cast, Ulf. Thine arm is
powerful, as I can tell from experience."

"Not so," replied Ulf. "It becomes men who are past their prime to
reserve their strength for the sword and battle-axe. Try it once more,
Kettle. Mayhap thou wilt pass the mark next time."

Kettle tried again and again, but without gaining a hair's-breadth on
Haldor's throw. The stalwart thrall had indeed put forth greater force
in his efforts than Haldor, but he did not possess his skill.

"Will no young man make trial of his strength and skill?" said Haldor,
looking round upon the eager faces of the crowd.

"Glumm is no doubt anxious to try his hand," said Erling, who stood
close to the line, with his arms resting on the head of his long-hafted
battle-axe. "The shining of the Sunbeam will doubtless warm thy heart
and nerve thine arm."

Erling muttered the latter part of his speech in a somewhat bitter tone,
alluding to Hilda's smiles; but the jealous and sulky Glumm could
appreciate no sunbeams save those that flashed from Ada's dark eyes. He
understood the remark as a triumphant and ironical taunt, and, leaping
fiercely into the ring formed by the spectators, exclaimed:

"I will cast the stone, but I must have a better man than thou, Kettle,
to strive with. If Erling the Bold will throw--"

"I will not balk thee," interrupted the other quickly, as he laid down
his axe and stepped up to the line.

Glumm now made a cast. Everyone knew well enough that he was one of the
best throwers of the stone in all the dale, and confidently anticipated
an easy victory over the thrall. But the unusual tumult of conflicting
feelings in the young man's breast rendered him at the time incapable of
exerting his powers to the utmost in a feat,