Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 174: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

172 and slew Thorarinn to make pretexts for his falling out with Jarl Rognvald.” Jarl Harald groaned. “But I would as soon order the death of you, Swain, who, as you have justly said, were the making of me.” “That is so, no doubt, Lord Jarl,” pressed Swain, ‘but you have here the choice be- tween what is right and proper and what will bring down upon you everlasting disgrace and dishonor.” “Will you not at least give Thorbiorn the chance of a fair trial?”’ asked Jarl Harald. “There may be circumstances = “Lord Jarl, if Thorbiorn had a fair trial he would say before your face that he slew Jarl Rognvald by arrangement with you— and how could you deny him, so that people would believe you, after permitting him to escape from this plight that he is in?” Jarl Harald threw up his hands. “On your head be it, then, Swain. I will not seek to stop you. Yet I say to you at the last, as I said at the beginning, what useful end will it serve to bring about the slaying of a score or two of men?” “There will not be anything like so many men slain,” replied Swain. “I am not afraid of Thorbiorn.”’ Vil ¥| THORBIORN, on the far side of the moss-hag, had watched closely Swain’s dispute with Jarl Harald, and when Swain turned on his heel and left the Jarl the outlaw said to his friends who were grouped around him: “Sorry was the day I ever quarreled with Swain! He has prevailed upon the Jarl to permit him to attack me.” “Be of a good heart, Thorbiorn,’’ re- plied Stefan Radgiafi. “If we are only half as numerous as Swain’s party none the less we have the moss-hag for defense and most of their spears.” “We will stand by you, Thorbiorn,” added Hoskuld the farmer. ‘Let us all perish together rather than yield to them.” Many others said as much, but certain of the common men in the party shifted their feet and looked uncomfortable. Nor did this escape Thorbiorn’s attention. “You do not know Swain as well as I do,” he answered. “I do not hide from myself his cleverness and strength simply because he is my enemy. He is no ordinary warrior.” Adventure “Whoever he is, the best thing for us to do is to try to slay him and as many of his people as we can,” asserted Stefan. But Thorbiorn would not agree to this plan. “T have no desire to be the cause of the deaths of the Kalfadal folk,’ he said. “Also, I have not altogether despaired of prevailing upon Jarl Harald to grant me quarter.” There was much talk upon this score the while Swain was examining the moss-hag for a place to cross, and the upshot of it was that Hoskuld said that the Kalfadal folk would disperse if Thorbiorn insisted that they should, but he advised the outlaw to flee with them and conceal himself in the woods on the Scots marches. But Thorbiorn refused. “I have been a chief ever since my youth,” he said. “And I do not wish now to become a fugitive. You others shall each do as seems best to you, but as for myself, I shall attempt to evade Swain and throw myself upon Jarl Harald’s mercy.” In the meantime Swain had reached a satisfactory place on the bank of the moss- hag some distance from the position held by Thorbiorn and his people, and the Orkney men began to scramble across. Jarl Harald and a few who had remained with him witnessed this advance for several moments in silence, but ag the Jarl perceived the ease with which Swain’s party won to the far side and the disintegration of the group of Kalfadal folk around Thorbiorn he ex- claimed: ‘‘Niddering am I if I do not advance! will be said that I feared the combat.” And he ran down to the nearest point on the bank of the moss-hag and leaped it in a stride, with his armor clashing on his back. The gap was here nine ells broad,* and of those who followed the Jarl not one cleared the whole distance. Thorbiorn observed Jarl Harald’s leap and he promptly sped over the bog, with his eight housecarls behind him, and cast himself upon his knees at the Jarl’s feet. “See, Lord Jarl,” he cried. “I might have made a stout fight against Swain, for the folk with me did not fear the weapon shock, but instead I choose to throw myself upon your mercy.” Harald looked uneasily from the Kal- fadal folk streaming away over the moor * A little more than thirteen feet. It GO NOOK C© 5}