Part 52 (1/2)

Now he looked again Yes, it was a shich stood by hiolden hilt was like the hilt of Whitefire He lifted up his hand to touch it, thinking that he dreamed Lo! his hand and arht of Gudruda flashed through his heart He sat up, gazing down into the shadow at his side

Presently the wo to earth

”What is that noise?” said one

”Eric leaping fro, as we have also”

As they spoke the curtain of the shut bed was pushed away, and through it staggered Eric in his night-gear, and lo! the left side of it was red His eyes ith horror, his mouth was open, and his face hite as ice

He stopped, looking at theh to speak, and could not

Then, while they shrank fro like a drunken e which led to the store-chamber The door stood wide, the shutter ide, and on the floor, soaked in the dregs of ale, Skallagri, 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 roori

”Forsooth, my head swims,” he said ”Give ain, Skallagrim, when thou hast seen that which I have to show!” said Eric, in the saaped upon him

”What means this, lord? Is it time to ride? and say! why is thy shi+rt red with blood?”

”Follow ain

Then Skallagri his axe, followed after Brighteyes, sore afraid of what he h 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 froht flowed in and struck upon the bed

It fell upon the bed, it fell upon Whitefire's hilt and ran along the blade, it gleaolden hair, and shone in her staring eyes--a woreat sword fixed within her heart!

”Look upon thy work, drunkard!” Eric cried again, while the wo down the panelled hall

”Hearken!” said Eric: ”while thou didst lie ing in thy swine's sleep, foes crept across thy carcase, and this is their handiwork:--yonder she lies as ht was my bride! This is thy work, drunkard! and nohat rim 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 wo, he whirled it thrice about his head Then he srim, 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 hty bloas falling and he rireat axe flew It passed over the head of Skallagriht across the wide hall, till it crashed through the panelling on the further side, and buried itself to the haft in the wall beyond