me tell you."

"Well, I am sorry," said Gymbert gruffly. "I was a careless fool,
if that will suit you."

"A mighty poor sort of apology that."

"Well, then," said Gymbert stiffly, and as I thought somewhat
ashamed of himself, "I will ask pardon for a bit of heedlessness in
all truth. Mayhap I did ride in somewhat over jealously."

Now by that time I was myself again, and told him to think no more
of it, so far as I was concerned. Whereon he blamed himself again
more heartily, and so went to see to his horse, which was past use
again for that and many a long day. Sighard turned away with a
growl, and Erling said nothing, for the matter was ended for the
time.

As for the boar, it was Sighard's spear which he took with him. The
thane had got it home in his flank as he gored the horse, but to
little effect. Then the boar had taken to the thickets, and there
the foresters had slain him.

Gymbert sent a man for a fresh horse, and so rode away without
another word to us. The noise from the nets went on, shifting
across the little valley as the kings went from place to place in
search of fresh game at the barrier.

"Well," said Sighard, looking after Gymbert as he went, "if yon
thane had it in his mind to spear you, or to ride over you, or
anywise to send you on the tusks of the boar, he went the right way
to work. He rode straight at you from behind, as if he meant it."

"But for his man here the paladin had gone home on a litter, feet
foremost, for certain," said the Mercian. "I do not know what came
to Gymbert, for he knows more of woodcraft than most of us. Maybe
he thought it his boar by all right, and was over hasty."

"A jealous hunter is no pleasant companion," answered Sighard, with
a shrug of his broad shoulders. "Well, there is no harm done, but
to the poor steed yonder."

Then I thanked Erling for his promptness, for it was his hand which
had swung me out of danger. Whereon he smiled, and said that he saw
it coming in time and risked my wrath. But I could tell that he had
more in his mind, and let the matter rest till we were alone. But
Sighard and the other thane went on growling now and then over the
closeness of the mishap, until the horns sounded merrily for the
gathering of us all to the barrier, where was even more work for
men and hounds than the kings could undertake. They had taken their
fill of the sport also, and had no mind to leave their courts apart
from it all.

So for a long hour or