“Well I did,” answered my brother; “else had either I or you a hole in us like the one that is well covered now.  But I feared what came to pass.”

Ragnar held out his hand, and Havelok took it, and so they parted without more words; but I knew that these two were friends from that time forward, whatever happened.

There were some sports of some sort on hand, when we came to see what all the noise was; and Berthun, seeing us, called Havelok to him.

“I have been looking for you,” he said, with that curious tone of his that always seemed to be asking pardon for his boldness in speaking to my brother; “for here are games at which they need some one to show the way.”

“This is a sport that I have not seen before,” answered Havelok, looking over the heads of the crowd.  “I should make a poor hand at it.”

They had been tossing a great fir pole, which was now laid on one side, with its top split from its falls, and they, thanes and freemen in turn, were putting a great stone, so heavy that a matter of a few inches beyond the longest cast yet made would be something to be proud of.  Good sport enough it was to see the brawny housecarls heave it from the ground and swing it.  But no one could lift it above his knee, so that one may suppose that it flew no great distance at a cast.

“Nay, but the thanes are trying,” Berthun said.  “It is open to all to do what they can.  One of your porters is best man so far.”

“Well, I will not try to outdo him.”

“I would that you would lift the stone, Curan.  That is a thing that I should most like to see.”

“Well then, master, as you bid me, I will try.  But do not expect too much.”

The man who had the stone made his cast, which was nothing to speak of; and then the stone lay unclaimed for a time, while all the onlookers waited to see who came forward next.  Then Havelok made his way through the crowd, and a silence as of wonder fell on the people; for some knew him, and had heard of his strength, and those who did not stared at him as at a wonder.  But the silence did not last long, for the porters who were there set up a sort of shout of delight, and that one who had made the longest cast so far began to tell him how best to heft the stone and swing it.

Then Havelok bent to raise the stone, and the noise hushed again.  I saw his mighty limbs harden and knot under the strain, and up to his knee he heaved it, and to his middle, and yet higher, to his chest, while we all held our breaths, and then with a mighty lift it was at his shoulder, and he poised it, and swung as one who balances for a moment, and then hurled it from him.  Then was a shout that Alsi might have heard in his hilltop palace, for full four paces beyond the strong porter’s cast it flew, lighting with a mighty crash, and bedding itself in the ground where it lit.  And I saw the young thanes with wide eyes looking at my brother, and from beside me Berthun the cook fairly roared with delight.