And he said that so he would do to any man who would not honour the gods." "Why do you remember that, Osritha ?" "Because--because there will be the great sacrifice tomorrow, and Wulfric, your friend, is not of our faith." Then Halfden was silent, looking across at me, and all at once I knew that here was a danger greater than any I had yet been through.

Fire I had passed through, and water, and now it was like to be trial by steel.

And the first had tried my courage, and the next my endurance, as I thought; but this would try both, and my faith as well.
"That is naught," said Halfden, lightly.

"It is but the signing of Thor's hammer, and I have seen Wulfric do that many a time, only not quite in our way, thus;" and he signed our holy sign all unknowing, or caring not.

"And to eat of the horse that is sacrificed--why, you and I, Wulfric, did eat horse on the Frankish shores; and you thought it good, being nigh starved--you remember ?" I remembered, but that was different; for that we did because the shores were so well watched that we ran short of food, and had to take what we could under cover of night at one time.