For if a case was too hard for him to decide in his own mind, he would study to find some way in which the truth might make itself known, as it were.

Nor did he hold much with trial by hot water, or heated ploughshares, and the like; finding new ways of his own contriving, which often brought the truth plainly to light, but which no other man would have thought of.

So that if a man, in doing or planning some ill to another, was himself hurt, we would laugh and say: "That is like the earl's justice".
So though Ulfkytel was no friend of my father's, having, indeed, some old quarrel about rights of manor or the like, I thought nothing of that, save that he would the sooner send me to the king for trial.
The jailor told me that I should be tried at noonday, and went away, and so I waited patiently as I might until then, keeping thought quiet as best I could by looking forward and turning over what I could say, which seemed to be nothing but the plain truth.
At last the weary waiting ended, and they took me into the great hall of the castle, and there on the high seat sat the earl, a thin, broad-shouldered man, with a long gray beard and gray eyes, that glittered bright and restless under shaggy eyebrows.

Beorn, too, was brought in at the same time, and we were set opposite to one another, to right and left of the earl, below the high place, closely watched by the armed guards, bound also, though not tightly, and only as to our hands.
And there on a trestle table before us lay the body of Jarl Lodbrok, my friend, in whose side was my broken arrow.

All the lower end of the hall was filled with the people, and I saw my two serfs there, and many Reedham folk.
Then the court was set, and with the earl were many men whom I knew by sight, honest thanes and franklins enough, and of that I was glad.
First of all one read, in the ears of all, that of which we two who were there bound were accused, giving the names of those half-dozen men who had found us fighting and had brought us for judgment.
Then said Earl Ulfkytel: "Here is a matter that is not easy in itself, and I will not hide this, that the father of this Wulfric and I are unfriendly, and that Beorn has been a friend of mine, though no close one.
Therefore is more need that I must be very careful that justice is not swayed by my knowledge and thoughts of the accused.