shall you do if
all goes well?"

"Take Arnkel and send him back to Hakon in the ship," I answered.
"That is the only thing possible. If he is foolish enough to
fight--well, he must take his chance."

Asbiorn nodded, and we went ashore, leaving that old courtman of
mine, Sidroc, in charge of the ship and the dozen men left with
her. The folk of the place thronged round to see us pass up the
town, and saw Gerda plainly for the first time. In another moment I
heard her name pass among them, and Gorm spoke to them, for there
was a growing noise of welcome.

"Steady, friends!" he said sternly, "steady! No need to tell Arnkel
that his time has come yet. Let us get to the hall quietly, and
thereafter shout as you like--

"Ho! stop that man!"

One had broken away from the crowd and was off toward the hall at
full speed, meaning, as I have no doubt, to warn Arnkel and win
reward. But he did not get far. A dozen men were after him, and had
him fast, and no other cared to follow his example.

There was a stockade round the hall and its outbuildings which
stood to right and left of it. The guest house was to the right,
and the bower, which was Gerda's own place, stood on the left, both
handsome timber buildings, with high-pitched roofs and carved
gables and doorways. The hall itself was like them, but larger,
with low, wide eaves that made, as it were, a gallery all round,
raised a little from the ground. Daylight showed that every timber
that could be seen was carved most wonderfully, but one could not
heed that now in the torchlight.

A man stood on guard in the stockade gate, and Gorm the Steward
spoke to him, bidding him salute the queen who had returned. He
gave one look at Gerda, and tossed his leathern helm in the air,
and so fell in with us as we crossed the courtyard to the great
door. From the hall came the pleasant sounds of song and laughter
from the courtmen within.

Gorm knocked and the doors flew open. The shipmen had been expected
to return with him for supper. I saw the whole place as we stood
there for the moment in the broad light of the torches on the
walls.

We entered at the end of the hall, and right over against us was
the high seat, where sat Arnkel and half a dozen other men. There
were no ladies with them, and for that I was glad. Two great fires
burnt on hearths on either side of the hall, halfway down its
length, and at this end sat at their trestle tables the thralls and
herdsmen and fi