must seem to hear him
betrothed to the maid before me."

"Thou hast heard aright, Ospakar," said Asmund, "and thy wooing is soon
sped. Get thee back whence thou camest and seek a wife in thine own
quarter, for thou art unfit in age and aspect to have so sweet a maid.
Moreover, here in the south we hold men of small account, however great
and rich they be, who do not shame to seek to overcome a foe by foul
means. With my own eyes I saw thee stamp on the naked foot of Eric,
Thorgrimur's son; with my own eyes I saw thee, like a wolf, fasten that
black fang of thine upon him--there is the mark of it; and, as for the
matter of the greased shoes, thou knowest best what hand thou hadst in
it."

"I had no hand. If any did this thing, it was Groa the Witch, thy
Finnish bedmate. For the rest, I was mad and know not what I did. But
hearken, Asmund: ill shall befall thee and thy house, and I will ever
be thy foe. Moreover, I will yet wed this maid of thine. And now, thou
Eric, hearken also: I will have another game with thee. This one was
but the sport of boys; when we meet again--and the time shall not be
long--swords shall be aloft, and thou shalt learn the play of men. I
tell thee that I will slay thee, and tear Gudruda, shrieking, from thy
arms to be my wife! I tell thee that, with yonder good sword Whitefire,
I will yet hew off thy head!"--and he choked and stopped.

"Thou art much foam and little water," said Eric. "These things are
easily put to proof. If thou willest it, to-morrow I will come with thee
to a holmgang, and there we may set the twigs and finish what we have
begun to-day."

"I cannot do that, for thou hast my sword; and, till I am suited with
another weapon, I may fight no holmgang. Still, fear not: we shall soon
meet with weapons aloft and byrnie on breast."

"Never too soon can the hour come, Blacktooth," said Eric, and turning
on his heel, he limped to the hall to clothe himself afresh. On the
threshold of the men's door he met Groa the Witch.

"Thou didst put grease upon my shoes, carline and witch-hag that thou
art," he said.

"It is not true, Brighteyes."

"There thou liest, and for all this I will repay thee. Thou art not yet
the wife of Asmund, nor shalt be, for a plan comes into my head about
it."

Groa looked at him strangely. "If thou speakest so, take heed to thy
meat and drink," she said. "I was not born among the Finns for nothing;
and know, I am still minded to wed Asmund. For thy sho