The sun., 1891-04-12
eric BRIGHTBYES.
By H. RIDER HAGoARD.

BY H. RIDER HAGGARD
CHAPTER XIV.
now rHn YSAsT WENT.
"Hsa1ksA all meniS said Erio
"Thruss him forth" auoth Bjorn.
NAY. slay himr said ospakar. "hs 10 sl
sutlawsd man"
words nrst then Deeds" answered skalla
Grim. "Thou shalt have thy fll OF beth. Black
tooth. ere day bs dona"
Let Erie Say bis say" said dudruda, liftina
her head. He has been doomed unhsard. ant
II II my win that he shall say his say"
What hast thou to do with Erlc3" snarlsd
Cspakar.
"Ths bride Cup 10 not yet drunk. lord" Oh,
made answer.
ITO thee. then. I will speak. lady" auoth
Erie. How comes II that being bstrothsd ID
Ne. thou dost sit there the bride OF Ospakar p
Ask Of Bwalhild." said Gudruda In low
vsics. Ask also OF Hail Of Lithdale yonder
who brought me Swanhilds gift from Strau.
mey."
II must ask much Of Hall and much must
he answer" said Eric. What tale then. did
hs bring thee from Btraumsy"
he said this. Eric" GudrudA answered.
that thou vast swanhfld's lover: that fol
Owanhild's sake thou hadst bassly killed Atli
The Good. and that thou vast about to wed
Bwanhild's self and take the Earl's seat in
OrknsyA"
And for what cause was made outlaw ss
the AlthiAgr'
"For this cause. Eric" said Bjorn. shat
thou hsdst dealt svilly with Bwanhild. bring
ing her to shame against her will. and there
after that thou hadst slain the Earl. her hus-
band"
(Which. then. Of these tales 10 true, for both
may not b true" said Brishteyss. Speak.
Dwsnhilds
"well thou knowsst that the last 10 true"
said Swanhild boldly.
How then comes It that thou didst ehares
Hall with that message 70 Gudruda2 How
then comes It that thou didst send to her that
lock Of hair which thou didst cosen mo to give
thesf"
II charged Hall with no mssssse. andI sent
no lock Of hair" she answered.
Stand thou forward. Halll" said Eric. II and
mar and coward though thou art dare not 70
speak other than the TRUTH Nay, look not on
tho door: for II thou stlrrest thithsrward this
spear shall ind thee ere thou hast gone . pace" I"
Now Hall stood forward. trembling with fear.
Dor ever hs saw the cold eye Of skaila3rim
watching him close. and while Lambstail
watched. his fingers toysd With the handle Of
his axe.
"Itis true. lord. that swanhild shsrssd me
With that message which gave 70 the Lady
0udruds. Also she bads me rive the lock Of
hair"
And for this service thou didst take
money!"
-Ay. lord. she savs me monsy for ny farins. !.
And AL tho while thou knswsst the tdinss
1alse2"
"Answerl" thundsred Eric. answer The
truth. knave. or By every God that passes the
hundred gates will not sparc thee twice |"
It's so lord" said HALL
Thou liest. fox said Swanhild. white with
wrath and casting an evil look upon him. But
men took no heed OF swanhild's words, for all
eyes wore bent ON Eric.
Is It now your pleasure. comrades. that
should show forth the truth ?" said Brlght-
eyes.
Tho most part Of the folk shoutsd i" Yea l'
but tho mon OF Ospakar;stood silent
Speak on. Eric" quoth Gudruds.
This. then. is the truth. swsnhild the
Fatherless. Atli's wife. hath ever sought my
love- and ever hath she hated Gudru-
ds whom loved. From child she has striven
to work evil between ~. Az. and she did this,
though till now It has been hidden: she strove
TO murder Gudruda; It was on the day that
6kallagrim and overcsms Ospakar and his
band on Horse Head HEIGHTS. She thrust her
from the brink Of Golden Falls while she sat
looking on the waters. and - she hung thence
1drsgeed her back. Is It not SO. Gudruda :"
1T is so." said Gudruda.
Now men murmured and looked on Swan
hild. But she shrank back. plueking ct her
purple cloak.
1t ives for this cause. went on Eric. that
Asmund. her father. gave her choice to we'd
Atli the Earl and PASS over sea. or take her
trial In the doom ring. She welded Atli and
went away. Thereafter. By witchoraft. she
brought my ship to wreck on Strsumey's Isle
~. she walked the waters Like . shape Of
light and lured US on to ruin. 50 that all were
drowned save and skallAgrim alone. lis It
not so. SksllsgrimT
1t is 80. lord. saw her with my eyes,"
Again folk murmured.
"Then We must sit in Atlps hail." said Eric.
"and there We sat last winter. For Q while
Bwanhild did no Ill. till feared her no moro.
But some three months gone was left with
her. and man called Koll. 0roa's thrall. Of
whom 70 know. came out from Iceland. bring
inx tidinRs Of the death OF Asmund the priest.
Of Unns my cousin. and Of Gros the witch.
TO these Ill tidings 6wanhild bribsd him to add
somewhat. she bribed him TO add this: that
thou. Gudruds, vast betrothed to Ospakar.
ma Wouloet W0Q nln on le9e i uIo Uey. More
over. he gave me a certain message from thee.
GudrudA and. IN token Of its truth. the half Of
that ooin which broke with thee long years
ago. Say now. lady. didst thou send the
eoin7"
NAY. nsvsri" cried audruds: II have for
many years lost the half thou Ravest me.
though feared to tell thee"
"Psrchance one stands there who found IT,"
said Eric. pointing with his spear at Swanhild.
"At the least was deceived BY It Now the
tale 10 short 6wanhild mournsd with me. and
In my bitterness mournsd full sore Then 1t
was she eravsd . boon. Of that lock of mine.
0udruds, and I. thinking thee faithless, gave
It. hsldius all oaths broken. Then. too. whom
would have loft her. she dragged me
with wtteh-draught-ay. she drugged me. and
woke to Ind myself false TO my oath. false to
Ati. and false to thee. GudrudA Icursed her
and left her. waiting for the Earl to tell him
al. But she outwtttsd me- She told him that
other tale Of shame that 70 have heard. and
brought Koll TO him Is witness Of the tale
Atli WAS deceived of her. and not until had
smittsn him down. being made mad BY the
bitter words he spoke. calling me coward and