insolence of triumph to exasperate jealous rage.

"You dare ask this!"

"Sweyn, O Sweyn, I must know! You have!"

The ring of despair and anguish in his tone angered Sweyn,
misconstruing it. Jealousy urging to such presumption was
intolerable.

"Mad fool!" he said, constraining himself no longer. "Win for
yourself a woman to kiss. Leave mine without question. Such an one
as I should desire to kiss is such an one as shall never allow a
kiss to you."

Then Christian fully understood his supposition.

"I--I!" he cried. "White Fell--that deadly Thing! Sweyn, are you
blind, mad? I would save you from her: a Were-Wolf!"

Sweyn maddened again at the accusation--a dastardly way of
revenge, as he conceived; and instantly, for the second time, the
brothers were at strife violently.

But Christian was now too desperate to be scrupulous; for a dim
glimpse had shot a possibility into his mind, and to be free to
follow it the striking of his brother was a necessity. Thank God!
he was armed, and so Sweyn's equal.

[Illustration: The Race]