was not wholly a stranger to him. Indeed, had it not been for the
long gold hair and the disguise of better clothing, he might have
known him to be the same whom he had seen in the last summer playing
at the knife feat on the gangplank of the viking ship. But Klerkon
only admired the lad's skill with the longbow, and thought what a
goodly warrior he would make. So having this in his mind, he watched
Olaf closely when again the boy ran past in the footrace, leading
his competitors by many yards.

And now, being first in the race, Olaf came once more before the
tent, and the queen gave him his well won prize.

As he took the silver hilted sword from Allogia's hand, one of the
vikings went to Klerkon's side, and said he:

"Master, this youth is the same who appeared in the last summer as
a bond slave at the time when the Hersir Sigurd came on board of
us. Was it not this same lad who was to be the prize in our horse
fight?"

Then Klerkon fixed his eyes more keenly on the lad, and thought
of him as he might be with his fair hair cropped short, and with
a slave's white kirtle in place of the fine clothes he now wore.

"It is the same!" he answered. "And now I mind that someone told
me it was he whom we captured among others many summers ago off
Alland isle. It was we who brought him into Esthonia. Much would
I give to have him with us on our longship. And by the hammer of
Thor, I swear that if I win him not over the horse fight, then I
will take him by force!"