“I doubt it not,” replied his friend, with a smile; “you have the look of one who is high in favour with himself.”

“As I ought!” cried Helgi.  “But hear me, and gibe not before the end.  I left that hall, accursed of the gods, and over full, I fear, of drunken men, in the manner you witnessed.  My counterfeit of drunkenness was so exceedingly lifelike, that even when I got outside I felt my head buzz round in the fresh air and my legs sway more than is their wont.  ‘Friend Helgi,’ I said to myself, ’you have drunk not one horn too few if you value your life at its proper worth.’  Upon that I applied a handful of snow to my face, and thereupon, on counting my fingers, was able to get within one of the customary number—­erring, if I remember rightly, upon the generous side, as befitted my disposition.  But to get on to the moving part of my adventures—­Where do you take me now?”

“’Tis all right,” replied Estein, “I take you to supper and a fire.  They come in my story.”

“Lead on then,” said Helgi.  “To continue my tale:  I walked with much assurance up to the gateway, singing, I remember, the song of Odin and the Jotun to prove the clearness of my head.  There I found a sentinel who, it seemed, had lately been sharing in the hospitality of King Bue.  Certain it is that he was more than half drunk, and so fast asleep that he woke not even at my singing, and I had to prod him with the hilt of my sword to arouse the sluggard.”

“Then you woke him!” exclaimed Estein, between amusement and surprise.

“How else could I pass?  The man leaned so heavily upon the gate, that wake him I must, for I liked not to slay a sleeping man, even though he stood upon his feet.  He looked upon me like a startled cow, and said, ‘You are a cursed Norseman.’  ’It would seem so, indeed,’ I replied, and thereupon ran him through with my blade and opened the gate.  Then a plan both humorous and ingenious came upon my mind, for my wits were strangely sharp.  I laid the man out under the shadow of the fence, where he could not well be seen save by such as had more clearness of vision than becomes the guests of so hospitable a monarch as King Bue, and having stripped him of his coat and put it round mine own shoulders, I took his place and awaited your coming.”

“Singing all the while?” said Estein.

“Softly and to myself,” replied Helgi; “for what is becoming enough in a guest is not always so well suited to a sentinel.  There I stood, stamping my feet and beating my arms upon my breast to keep the cold away, till I began to think that something was amiss.”

“Then while I was scaling the wall at one end of the court, you were guarding the gate at the other!” exclaimed Estein.

“So it would appear now, though I pledge you my word I had no thought of such a thing as I watched that gate last night.  In truth, what I had done began to seem to me so plainly the best thing to do, that I thought you would surely follow my movements in your mind—­so far as drink allowed you, and come straightway to the gate in full confidence of finding me on duty.  I see now that your plan had its merits, though I still maintain that mine was the better.”