to the ground.

As they came before the King's house the men on the dark horses shouted
for servants. Only one servant was in the stable. He came out and took
the horse of the first man. Then the others called upon the Wanderer to
tend their horses. He had to hold the stirrups for some of them to
dismount.

Odin knew who the first man was. He was Geirrod the King. And he knew
who the man who served in the stable was. He was Agnar, Geirrod's
brother. By the wisdom he had gained he knew that Agnar had come back to
his father's kingdom in the guise of a servant, and he knew that
Geirrod did not know who this servant was.

They went into the stable together. Agnar took bread and broke it and
gave some to the Wanderer. He gave him, too, straw to seat himself on.
But in a while Odin said, "I would seat myself at the fire in the King's
hall and eat my supper of meat."

"Nay, stay here," Agnar said. "I will give you more bread and a wrap to
cover yourself with. Do not go to the door of the King's house, for the
King is angry today and he might repulse you."

"How?" said Odin. "A King turn away a Wanderer who comes to his door! It
cannot be that he would do it!"

"Today he is angry," Agnar said. Again he begged him not to go to the
door of the King's house. But Odin rose up from the straw on which he
was seated and went to the door.

A porter, hunchbacked and with long arms, stood at the door. "I am a
Wanderer, and I would have rest and food in the King's hall," Odin said.

"Not in this King's hall," said the hunchbacked porter. He would have
barred the door to Odin, but the voice of the King called him away. Odin
then strode into the hall and saw the King at table with his friends,
all dark-bearded, and cruel-looking men. And when Odin looked on them he
knew that the boy whom he had trained in nobility had become a King over
robbers.

"Since you have come into the hall where we eat, sing to us, Wanderer,"
shouted one of the dark men. "Aye, I will sing to you," said Odin. Then
he stood between two of the stone pillars in the hall and he sang a song
reproaching the King for having fallen into an evil way of life, and
denouncing all for following the cruel ways of robbers.

"Seize him," said the King, when Odin's song was finished. The dark men
threw themselves upon Odin and put chains around him and bound him
between the stone pillars of the hall. "He came into this hall for
warmth, and warmth he shall have," said Ge