cried out: "Now let man dance with maid, and be we merry! Music,
strike up!" Then flew the fiddle-bows and twanged the harps, and the
carles and queens stood forth on the floor; and all the women were
clad in black raiment, albeit embroidered with knots and wreaths of
flowers. A while they danced and then suddenly the music fell, and
they all went back to their places. Then the chieftain in the high-
seat arose and took a horn from his side, and blew a great blast on
it that filled the hall; then he cried in a loud voice: "Be we
merry! Let the champions come forth!"

Men shouted gleefully thereat, and straightway ran into the hall from
out the screens three tall men clad all in black armour with naked
swords in their hands, and stood amidst the hall-floor, somewhat on
one side, and clashed their swords on their shields and cried out:
"Come forth ye Champions of the Raven!"

Then leapt Hallblithe from his seat and set his hand to his left
side, but no sword was there; so he sat down again, remembering the
warning of the Elder, and none heeded him.

Then there came into the hall slowly and mournfully three men-at-
arms, clad and weaponed like the warriors of his folk, with the image
of the Raven on their helms and shields. So Hallblithe refrained
him, for besides that this seemed like to be a fair battle of three
against three, he doubted some snare, and he determined to look on
and abide.

So the champions fell to laying on strokes that were no child's play,
though Hallblithe doubted if the edges bit, and it was but a little
while before the Champions of the Raven fell one after another before