Gilpin observer., 1904-10-06

made him the most peremptory Of
gestures
mo, wait! Wait, good brother! I
intentionally or not! 1t is-it is
the-the jest" Again he became
unintelligible.
Rothgar stopped, but it was to
glover over his folded arms. Because
his womanish face has caught your
fancy, you will neither blame him
yourself nor allow others to make a
fuss"
THAT is where you are wrong"
the King interrupted, with as much
gravity as he could command. when
Fridtjof Frodesson comes again into
your presence, I give you leave to
take whatever revenge you like. and
l promise that I will not lift finger
to hinder you from it,
"And not hold it against me?"
Rothgar demanded incredulously.
And not hold it against you," Ca
mute agreed. will you wager a
lingering against my knife that your
mind will not change when my ward
stands again before you?"
The Jotun smiled grimly. "~che
wager shall be as you have made it;
and may 1 lack strength If I do not
deal with him" He paused, blink
ing like startled owl, as his royal
foster-brother leaped to his feet and
fronted him with shouts of laughter
''You dolt, you." Canute cried. DO
you not see it yet? Frode's child is
q woman!"
Rothgar's jaw dropped and his
bulging eyes seemed in danger Of fol-
lowing. What" he gasped; and
then his voice rose to a roar. "And
the Englishman is her lover?"
"You are wiser than l exnected,"
the King laughed.
Stamping with rage, the Jotun ham
mered his huge fist upon a tree-trunk
until bark flew in every direction.
king, 1 will give you every ring off
my hand If you will give me leave to
strangle her!"
"You remind me that 1 will take
one of your rings now" Canute said.
reaching out and opening the mallet-
like fist that he might make his
choice. Then, as he fitted on his
prize and held it critically to the
light. he added with more sympathy:
Il will arrange for you more profit
able revenge than that. 1 will make
condition with Edmund that the
Etheling's odal shall not be included
in the land which is peace-holy, and
that to ravage it shall not be looked
upon as breaking the truce. Then
can you betake yourself thither and
sit down with your following, and
have no one but yourself to blame if
you fail a second time. Only"-he
thrust his knuckles suddenly between
the others ribs-"only, before we get
serious over it. do at least give one
laugh. Though she be Ran herself.
the maiden has played an excellent
joke upon you." r.-
Il do not see how you make out
that it is all upon me-" Rothgar said
sulkily. "You did not have the ap
pearance of choking much on her
stories."
The King seemed all at once to re-
cover MS dignity. Will not deny
that" he said gravely; land have
not said that l expect to be angry
about it presently? That she should
dare to offer her King that lying
story about her sisters death
His face flushed as though he were
remembering his emotion on receiv
ing that same story; and his foster
brothers. observation did not tend tc
mollify him.
And not only to offer it," the sor
of Lodbrok chuckled, but to cram II
down his throat and make him swal
low it."
Canute's heels also began to ring
with ominous sharpness upon the
frosty ground. "She must be Ran
herself! oh, you need not be afraid
that I shall not get overbearine
enough after l am started, Now, as
l am king, l will punish her in a
way that she will like less thar
strangling! tell you. her luck Is
great that she is not here tonight"