, staggered from the hall down that passage which led to
the store-chamber. The door stood wide, the shutter was wide, and on the
floor, soaked in the dregs of ale, Skallagrim yet lay snoring, his axe
in one hand and a cup in the other.

Eric looked and understood.

"Awake, drunkard!" he cried, in so terrible a voice that the room shook.
"Awake, and look upon thy work!"

Skallagrim sat up, yawning.

"Forsooth, my head swims," he said. "Give me ale, I am thirsty."

"Never wilt thou look on ale again, Skallagrim, when thou hast seen that
which I have to show!" said Eric, in the same dread voice.

Then Skallagrim rose to his feet and gaped upon him.

"What means this, lord? Is it time to ride? and say! why is thy shirt
red with blood?"

"Follow me, drunkard, and look upon thy work!" Eric said again.

Then Skallagrim grew altogether sober, and grasping his axe, followed
after Brighteyes, sore afraid of what he might see.

They went down the passage, past the high seat of the hall, till they
came to the curtain of the shut bed; and after them followed the women.
Eric seized the curtain in his hand, rent it from its fastenings, and
cast it on the ground. Now the light flowed in and struck upon the bed.
It fell upon the bed, it fell upon Whitefire's hilt and ran along the
blade, it gleamed on a woman's snowy breast and golden hair, and shone
in her staring eyes--a woman who lay stiff and cold upon the bed, the
great sword fixed within her heart!

"Look upon thy work, drunkard!" Eric cried again, while the women who
peeped behind sent their long wail of woe echoing down the panelled
hall.

"Hearken!" said Eric: "while thou didst lie wallowing in thy
swine's sleep, foes crept across thy carcase, and this is their
handiwork:--yonder she lies who was my bride!--now is Gudruda the Fair a
death-wife who last night was my bride! This is thy work, drunkard! and
now what meed for thee?"

Skallagrim looked. Then he spoke in a hoarse slow voice:

"What meed, lord? But one--death!"

Then with one hand he covered his eyes and with the other held out his
axe to Eric Brighteyes.

Eric took the axe, and while the women ran thence screaming, he whirled
it thrice about his head. Then he smote down towards the skull of
Skallagrim, but as he smote it seemed to him that a voice whispered in
his ear: "_Thy oath!_"--and he remembered that he had sworn to slay no
more, save for his own life's sake.

The mighty blow was falling a