Then was a howl that was strange, and with it voices which seemed to let some light on the matter.

“They have slain the jarl’s guests.”

And then came forward a big black-bearded man whom I had seen in the crowd already, and he squared up to Biorn.

“Lies are no good, master sheriff, for we know that the outlanders who spoke the strange tongue must be the guests who came.”

“I am no liar,” answered Biorn.  “Is there not one man here who saw the ship and her folk this afternoon?”

Now this man seemed not to want that question answered, for he shouted to the crowd not to waste time in wrangling, but to have out the murderers; and he took a step towards Biorn, bidding him side no more with the men, but let the folk deal with them.

“You overdo your business as sheriff!” he said.

It was Biorn who wasted no more time, for he saw that here was deeper trouble than a common riot.  He lifted his axe.

“Come nearer at your peril,” he said.

Then the black-bearded man sprang at him, and axe met sword for a parry or two, flashing white in the moonlight.  Then one weapon flashed red suddenly, and it was Biorn’s, and back into the tower he sprang as his foe fell, and Havelok flung the door to, and I barred it.

“Up,” said Biorn; and in the dark we stumbled from stair to stair, while the crowd howled and beat on the door below us.  It was good to get out into the moonlight on the roof, where we could rest.  I was glad that the tower was there instead of Thor, and also that it was strong.  It was no great height, but wide, and the men below looked comfortably far off at all events.

“Here is a fine affair,” quoth Biorn, sitting himself down with his back against the high stone wall round the tower top.  “It will take me all my time to set this right.”

“You have stood by us well, friend,” Havelok said, “and it is a pity that you have had to share our trouble so far as this.  Who was the man who fell on you?”

“That is the trouble,” answered Biorn, “for there will be more noise over him than all the rest.  He was Hodulf’s steward, the man who gathers the scatt, and therefore is not liked.  And all men know that there was no love lost between him and me.”

“Hodulf’s man,” said I; “how long has he been here, and is he a Norseman?”

For I knew him.  He was the man who had spoken to me at the boat side when we had to fly—­one, therefore, who knew all of the secret of Havelok.

“Ay, one of the Norsemen who came here with the king at the first, and is almost the last left of that crew.  I suppose that you have heard the story.”

We had, in a way that the honest sheriff did not guess, and I only nodded.  But I thought that we had got rid of an enemy in him, and that Griffin had fallen in with him on landing, and known him, and taken him into his counsel about us.  He would have gone down to see the vessel and collect the king’s dues from her and from us at the same time.  He had not come into the town till late, as we heard afterwards.