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Among the spectators stood Ingo, watching these feats of agility and strength. Then Isanbart, an old chief of the district, stepped up to him, and looking at him searchingly, began so solemnly that others ceased speaking:

"Among thy people also, stranger, from whereever thou hast thine origin, the young warriors undoubtedly exercise themselves in leaping and feats of arms; I see by thine arm and eye that thou art not quite unacquainted with sports; perhaps it will please thee to show our young men what the practise is in thy home, even though thou mayest not be as well versed in the art as a chief. If thou art from the east, as I conceive, thou must at least know how to swing the wooden club: this also shows the strength of the man, although my countrymen practise it little. In the hall I saw such a club over the seat of the host."

Ingo answered the good old man, "If the Prince and the chiefs of the people will allow me, I will attempt what I once learned."

The Prince nodded. One of the retinue rushed to the house, and brought with him a weapon of oakwood, curved backward from the handle, with a sharp edge in front. The club was passed from hand to hand, and the men weighed the light tool.

"This weapon is similar to what our swineherd carries to destroy wolves," cried Theodulf, contemptuously; but the old man Isanbart answered reprovingly, "Thou speakest foolishly; I saw a skull broken like a clay jug with a club not so heavy as this." And he laid the club in the hands of the host.

"Any one who has ridden over a field of battle in the eastern marches," said the Prince, "knows well the wounds made by the stroke of this knotted weapon. Yet I have heard from old warriors that a secret lies in the wood, and that it is difficult to master the throw; for it may maliciously strike the incautious one's own head. This wooden club is not unworthy of the hand of a noble, for in former days it was a king's weapon, and my father brought it home from a foreign country."

"Then it shall show its powers to the son," cried out Ingo, joyfully catching hold of it. With a smart swing of the arm he threw the club; it flew in circling curves through the air; but when all thought that it would strike the ground, it came, as if drawn by a cord, back again to him: he caught hold of it in the air by the handle, and threw it again hither and thither, always quicker, and it always returned obediently to his hand. So easy and frolicsome did the game with the oaken club appear that the spectators drew near, and loud laughter went through the circle.

"That is a juggling trick of the traveler," exclaimed Theodulf, contemptuously.

"It is a weapon of defense in a man's hand," retorted the stranger; "thy skull can scarcely be harder than this iron cap."

He spoke to Wolf, who laid an old iron helmet on a pole at the distance of a spear's throw. The stranger measured the distance of the mark, weighed the weapon in his hand, threw it in a curve at the helmet, and sprang after it with a powerful bound. Loud cracked the bursting metal, and yet the club came back again, and again Ingo caught it with a strong hand, and held it on high. A cry of astonishment sounded through the circle, and a curious crowd collected round the shattered helmet.

"Well, then," began Theodulf, condescendingly, "thou hast shown us thy usages, now try our practises. Bring hither the horses for the leapers."

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