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When brained by my biter O'Brodar lies gory, While over the wolf's meal Fair widows are wailing." "Does he refuse my gift?" grumbled Ranald. "He has given a fair reason," said the Prince, as he hid the ring in his bosom; "leave him to me; for my brother in arms he is henceforth." After which, as was the custom of those parts, most of them drank too much liquor.
Each had robbed and cheated the other half a dozen times in the last twenty years. As for the morality of the transaction, Ranald had this salve for his conscience, that as he intended to do to O'Brodar, so would O'Brodar have gladly done to him, had he been living peaceably in Norway, and O'Brodar been strong enough to invade and rob him.
The boys listened, wide-eyed and wide-eared. Hereward knew to whom he was speaking; and he had not spoken in vain. "What do you hope to get here?" he went on. "Ranald will give you no ships: he will have enough to do to fight O'Brodar; and he is too cunning to thrust his head into Algar's quarrels." "We hoped to find Vikings here, who would go to any war on the hope of plunder."
He saw Ivo Taillebois; he saw Oger; he saw his fellow-Breton, Sir Raoul de Dol; he saw Sir Ascelin; he saw Sir Aswa, Thorold's man; he saw Sir Hugh of Evermue, his own son-in-law; and with them he saw, or seemed to see, the Ogre of Cornwall, and O'Brodar of Ivark, and Dirk Hammerhand of Walcheren, and many another old foe long underground; and in his ear rang the text, "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed."
Indeed, so had O'Brodar done already, ever since he wore beard, to every chieftain of his own race whom he was strong enough to ill-treat.
I know nothing of Ulixes, king, nor of this O'Brodar either; and I am but a lad, as you see: but I heard a bird once in my own country who gave a very different counsel from the priest's." "Speak on, then. This lad is no fool, my merry men all." "There were three copses, King, in our country, and each copse stood on a hill.
Therefore, King Ranald, says, by the mouth of my humility, the great O'Brodar, Lord of Ivark, 'Take example by Alcinous, the wise king of Fairy, and listen not to the ambassadors of those lying villains, O'Dea Lord of Slievardagh, Maccarthy King of Cashel, and O'Sullivan Lord of Knockraffin, who all three between them could not raise kernes enough to drive off one old widow's cow.
"If there be any, I want them more than you; and, what is more, I will have them. They know that they will do finer deeds with me for their captain than burning a few English homesteads. And so may you. Come with me, lads. Once and for all, come. Help me to fight O'Brodar.
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