hall guide her."

"Have no fear, Olaf," Heliodore said gently, "I wear a dagger."

Scarcely had she spoken when there was a sound of many feet. The man
whom I had wounded had run shouting towards the palace, rousing the
soldiers, both those on watch and those in their quarters. Now these
began to arrive and to gather in the glade before the clump of trees,
for some guards who had heard the clash of arms guided them to the
place. They were of all races and sundry regiments, Greeks, Byzantines,
Bulgars, Armenians, so-called Romans, and with them a number of Britons
and northern men.

Seeing the Empress and, near by, myself standing with drawn sword
against the tree sheltering the lady Heliodore, also on the ground those
whom I had cut down, they halted. One of their officers asked what they
must do.

"Kill me that man who has slain my servants, or stay--take him living,"
screamed the Augusta.

Now among those who had gathered was a certain lieutenant of my own, a
blue-eyed, flaxen-haired Norwegian giant of the name of Jodd. This man
loved me like a brother, I believe because once it had been my fortune
to save his life. Also often I had proved his friend when he was in
trouble, for in those days Jodd got drunk at times, and when he was
drunk lost money which he could not pay.

Now, when he saw my case, I noted that this Jodd, who, if sober, was no
fool at all, although he seemed so slow and stupid, whispered something
to a comrade who was with him, whereon the man turned and fled away like
an arrow. From the direction in which he went I guessed at once that he
was running to the barracks close at hand, where were stationed quite
three hundred Northmen, all of whom were under my command.

The soldiers prepared to obey the Augusta's orders, as they were bound
to do. They drew their swords and a number of them advanced towards me
slowly. Then it was that Jodd, with a few Northmen, moved between them
and me, and, saluting the Empress, said in his bad Greek,

"Your pardon, Augusta, but why are we asked to kill our own general?"

"Obey my orders, fellow," she answered.

"Your pardon, Augusta," said the stolid Jodd, "but before we kill our
own general, whom you commanded us to obey in all things, we would know
why we must kill him. It is a custom of our country that no man shall
be killed until he has been heard. General Olaf," and drawing his short
sword for the first time, he saluted me in form, "be pleased to expla