Then came my two thralls, and spoke to the truth of my story, as did one of the men who had stayed with them, for he too had seen the deer hanging where I had left it, nearly a mile away from where the fight was.  And my men added that they had seen me riding to that place, and had followed the call of my horn.

“Murderers do not call thus for help,” said the earl.  “What more?”

“Only that Lodbrok’s dog flew at Beorn;” they said.

Then my steward and others told the story of my saving of Lodbrok, and there were one or two who knew how closely Beorn seemed to have sought his friendship.  There was no more then to be said.

All the while Ulfkytel had watched my face and Beorn’s, and now he said: 

“The arrow condemns Wulfric, but any man might pick up a good arrow that he had lost.  And the sword condemns Beorn, but there are many ways in which it might be bloodstained in that affair.  Now, were these two robbers, I would hold that they were fighting over division of booty, but they are honourable men.  Wherefore I will have one more witness who knows not how to lie.  Fetch the dog.”

So they brought Lodbrok’s dog, which the serfs had with them, and they loosed it.  It ran to his body first and cried over it, pulling his coat with its paws and licking his face, so that it was pitiful to see it, and there were women present who wept thereat.

Then it left him and came to me, thrusting its nose into my hand, but I would not notice it, for justice’s sake; but when it saw Beorn, it bristled up, flying at his throat so that he fell under it, and the guards had much ado in getting it off, and one was bitten.

“The dog condemns Beorn,” said the earl, “but Wulfric bred it.”

After that he would have no more witness; but now should each of us lay hand on the body and swear that he was guiltless.

They brought a book of the Holy Gospels and put it on Lodbrok’s breast, and first I laid my hand thereon, looking into the quiet face of the man whose life I had saved, and sware truly.

Then must Beorn confess or swear falsely, and I looked at him and his cheek was pale.  But he, too, laid hand on the dread book in its awful place and sware that he was innocent—­and naught happened.  For I looked, as I think many looked, to see the blood start from the wound that he had given the jarl, but it was not so.  There was no sign.  Then crossed my mind the first doubt that I had had that Beorn was guilty.  Yet I knew he lied in some things, and the doubt passed away quickly.

Then Ulfkytel pushed away the table from before him so that it fell over.

“Take these men away,” he said.  “I have heard and seen enough.  I will think!”

They led us away to the cells again, and I wondered how all this would end.  In an hour they brought us back, and set us in our places again.  The earl had more to say, as it seemed.