ok to the house, for I lodged at the widow's when I
was not on night duty; and we armed ourselves, and then came Ragnar. He
greeted me first, and then looked at Havelok in amaze, as it seemed, and
then bowed a little, and asked me to make my friend known to him.

"If you are the friend of whom Radbard has told me, I think that I am
fortunate in having come to him."

"I am his brother, lord earl," answered Havelok, "and I am at your service."

Ragnar looked from one of us to the other, and then smiled.

"A brother Dane and a brother in arms, truly," he said. "Well, that is
all that I need ask, except your name, as I am to be another brother of
the same sort."

Then Havelok looked at me, and I nodded. I knew what he meant; but it
was not right that the earl should not know who he was.

"Men call me Curan here, lord earl, and that I must be to you hereafter.
But I am Havelok of Grimsby, son of Grim."

In a moment I saw that the earl knew more of that name than I had deemed
possible; and then I minded Mord, the wry-necked, who was the
chamberlain now. But Ragnar said nothing beyond that he would remember
the request, and that he was well seconded. And then we went out into
the grey morning, and without recrossing the bridge, away to the level
meadows on the south of the river, far from any roadway.

"There is not an island in the stream," said Ragnar, "or I should have
wanted the old northern holmgang battle. I doubt if we could even get
these Welshmen to peg out the lists."

"That we must see to," I said. "We will have all things fair in some way."

Half a mile from the town we came to what they call a carr--a woody
rise in the level marsh--and on the skirts of this two men waited us.
They were the seconds of Griffin, Welsh or half Welsh both of them by
their looks, and both were well armed. Their greeting was courteous
enough, and they led us by a little track into the heart of the
thickets, and there was a wide and level clearing, most fit for a fight,
in which waited Griffin himself.

Now I had never taken any part in a fight before, and I did not rightly
know what I had to do to begin with. However, one of the other side
seemed to be well up in the matter, and at once he came to me and
Havelok and took us aside.

"Here is a little trouble," he said: "our men have said nothing of what
weapons they will use."

"I take it," said Havelok at once, "that they meant to use those which
were most handy to them, t