The Thirsty Sword

n his leathern girdle; while Roderic of Gigha sat upon the table facing the door and swinging his legs to and fro. The light of a hanging cruse lamp shone upon his long red hair and beard.

Earl Roderic of Gig

with evil smiles. Roderic drank

gain folded his arms. "And who, t

e guilt of blood upon your father's name! You have slain your own brother, our dear lord and master; you have shed his life's blood within his own hall. Deceitful traitor that you

aughter from Roderic

ner to the deepest dungeon. For though he were King Hakon himself he shou

ou, who are you, my young knave, that dares to threaten his betters? By St. Olaf, but you are passing bold to speak o

ring me the knife you wot of. This is surely the stripling of whom we heard. He barks passing we

say bounded forward and caught him in his strong arms, struggled

his throat. With his left hand he again gripped Kenric's sword hand and tried to wrest the weapon from his grasp. But Kenric's wrist was of mighty strength and he held with a grip of iron to the handle of his sword. Then Roderic dragged the lad's hand forward and got it between his teeth, that by biting it he might force him to loosen his hold of the weapon. And now Kenric must su

Kenric as the senes

nd holding him there with his bare knee on his back, he took off his great plaid and twisting

t by Alpin, who, with drawn sword, was about to kill him. His sword was raised in the act of smiting him when, from the banqueting hall beyond, there came a loud and plaintive cry that echoed through

e were there with her, holding torches and lighted cruse lamps over the body o

one this wicked thing?" she cri

of Gigha," an

er brought him within the

r with his two comp

s your spirit? Why have you let him live thus long? And you, Alpin,

ime?" said Alpin. "Even my poor father could not have see

Dovenald the bard. "Heard you aught

deric of Gigha is even now meditating how he can make himself the lord over Bute

y is that?" aske

well that Dovenald was better learned than

unished for his crime as the wise men of Bute shal

ne of a few score of cattle that would repay me for the loss of my dear husband. No, no. A life for

on her knees bef

and upon the high nobility you inherit, to be revenged upon this traitor for his crim

ed back and

said he, "what

before the blood is dry upon its blade d

the knife, raised hi

e, and here I promise you I shall be avenged upon Earl R

geance by stealth, then is his treachery as evil as that of the murderer whom he would punish. If he challenge this man to mortal combat, then most surely he will be slain, for Roderic, as I have seen, is most powerful of arm, and it is his heart's

his shoulder. And when Alpin drew away his arm that she might answer Kenric face to face, s

tended her. But for three long days and nights she lay on her couch in a strange sickness t