faces in their
hands and tittered.

"Away with that fool!" shouted the president of the Court, and the poor
fellow was hustled out. What became of him afterwards I do not know,
though I can guess.

Now appeared witness after witness who told of the fray which I have
described already, though for the most part they tried to put another
colour on the matter. Of many of these men I asked no questions. Indeed,
growing weary of their tales, I said at length to the judges,

"Sirs, what need is there for all this evidence, seeing that among you
I perceive three gallant officers whom I saw running before the Northmen
that night, when with some four hundred swords we routed about two
thousand of you? You yourselves, therefore, are the best witnesses of
what befell. Moreover, I acknowledge that, being moved by the sight of
war, in the end I led the charge against you, before which charge some
died and many fled, you among them."

Now these captains glowered at me and the president said,

"The prisoner is right. What need is there of more evidence?"

"I think much, sir," I answered, "since but one side of the story has
been heard. Now I will call witnesses, of whom the first should be the
Augusta, if she is willing to appear and tell you what happened within
the circle of the Northmen on that night."

"Call the Augusta!" gasped the president. "Perchance, prisoner Michael,
you will wish next to call God Himself on your behalf?"

"That, sir," I answered, "I have already done and do. Moreover," I added
slowly, "of this I am sure, that in a time to come, although it be not
to-morrow or the next day, you and everyone who has to do with this case
will find that I have not called Him in vain."

At these words for a few moments a solemn silence fell upon the Court.
It was as though they had gone home to the heart of everyone who was
present there. Also I saw the curtains that draped a gallery high up
in the wall shake a little. It came into my mind that Irene herself was
hidden behind those curtains, as afterwards I learned was the case, and
that she had made some movement which caused them to tremble.

"Well," said the president, after this pause, "as God does not appear to
be your witness, and as you have no other, seeing that you cannot give
evidence yourself under the law, we will now proceed to judgment."

"Who says that the General Olaf, Olaf Red-Sword, has no witness?"
exclaimed a deep voice at the end of the hall. "I