“If you are the friend of whom Radbard has told me, I think that I am fortunate in having come to him.”

“I am his brother, lord earl,” answered Havelok, “and I am at your service.”

Ragnar looked from one of us to the other, and then smiled.

“A brother Dane and a brother in arms, truly,” he said.  “Well, that is all that I need ask, except your name, as I am to be another brother of the same sort.”

Then Havelok looked at me, and I nodded.  I knew what he meant; but it was not right that the earl should not know who he was.

“Men call me Curan here, lord earl, and that I must be to you hereafter.  But I am Havelok of Grimsby, son of Grim.”

In a moment I saw that the earl knew more of that name than I had deemed possible; and then I minded Mord, the wry-necked, who was the chamberlain now.  But Ragnar said nothing beyond that he would remember the request, and that he was well seconded.  And then we went out into the grey morning, and without recrossing the bridge, away to the level meadows on the south of the river, far from any roadway.

“There is not an island in the stream,” said Ragnar, “or I should have wanted the old northern holmgang battle.  I doubt if we could even get these Welshmen to peg out the lists.”

“That we must see to,” I said.  “We will have all things fair in some way.”

Half a mile from the town we came to what they call a carr—­a woody rise in the level marsh—­and on the skirts of this two men waited us.  They were the seconds of Griffin, Welsh or half Welsh both of them by their looks, and both were well armed.  Their greeting was courteous enough, and they led us by a little track into the heart of the thickets, and there was a wide and level clearing, most fit for a fight, in which waited Griffin himself.

Now I had never taken any part in a fight before, and I did not rightly know what I had to do to begin with.  However, one of the other side seemed to be well up in the matter, and at once he came to me and Havelok and took us aside.

“Here is a little trouble,” he said:  “our men have said nothing of what weapons they will use.”

“I take it,” said Havelok at once, “that they meant to use those which were most handy to them, therefore.”

The Welshman stared, and answered rather stiffly, “This is not a matter of chance medley, young sir, but an ordered affair.  But doubtless this is the first time you have been in this case, and do not know the rules.  Let me tell you, therefore, that your earl, being the challenged man, has choice of weapons.

“Why, then,” answered Havelok, “it seems to me that if we say as I have already said, it is fair on our part.  For it is certain that the earl will want to use the axe, and your man is about half his weight, so that would be uneven.”

“As the challenged man, the earl is entitled to any advantage in weapons.”