"A wondrous strong blow!" murmured Valdemar. "But I see that it was
struck from the front. How came it that Klerkon could not defend
himself?"

"Little time had he for that," answered the viking, "for the lad
fell upon him with the quickness of an eagle's swoop, and although
my master was well armed, yet he could not raise his sword ere he
fell dead at our feet, and then Ole turned and fled with such speed
that none could follow him."

"Such an act as this," said the king, "cannot have been without
some cause. What reason of enmity was there between this boy and
Klerkon?"

"No reason but wanton mischief," answered the warrior. "It was a
causeless murder, and we claim the full and lawful punishment."

"Justice shall be done," returned the king. "But I must first know
what the peace breaker may have to say in his own defence. I beg
you, therefore, to keep truce until the sunrise, when the penalty
shall be adjudged."

At hearing this promise the crowd dispersed in peace. Many grumbled
that the customary sentence of death had not been instantly pronounced.
But in causing this delay King Valdemar was but yielding to the
pleadings of the queen, who had implored him to spare the life of
the handsome young murderer, or at the least to save him from the
fury of the vikings.