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But the masters in the house observed after a few weeks that it was difficult to keep the peace among their followers; for the young men were proud and hasty in their anger, and the old watched jealously the honor of their masters. Thus Radgai the Vandal, and Agino, a wild fellow of the house, quarreled with one another, because the Vandal had given an ornament to a maiden of the village who smiled upon him. On account of this Agino was displeased, and said, mockingly, "We had thought that the treasure of thy master was small, but now we see that you keep good things in your bags."

"He who ventures his life in battle," answered the Vandal, "puts money in his pocket, but horn grows upon the hand of him who, like thee, works on the threshing-floor."

This speech was heard by the people of the house, and when the next morning Berthar came with his men to the granary, in order to fetch oats for the horses for the following days, Hildebrand, who was the distributor in the farm, refused him the threshed oats, and said:

"If you have despised the callous hands of our boys, you may stamp out the sheaves with your own feet, or with those of your horses, as suits you best; my comrades refuse to work for you, as you speak so roughly to them. Take the oats in sheaves, and not in sacks."

Berthar answered in an appeasing tone:

"It was wrong in my comrades to despise the customs of our host's country. But thou thyself art a traveled man, and knowest that customs differ in various countries. Elsewhere the master's followers lift the sheaves in baskets; they cut and winnow the fodder, and ride about the field with the harrow; but it would be considered inglorious for them to hold the plow-tail and the flail. Therefore have a little forbearance with my comrades, because they, as strangers, are surprised at your customs."

But Hildebrand answered ill-temperedly:

"Those who eat of our bread should accommodate themselves to our customs; therefore take only the sheaves; from henceforth thou shalt receive nothing else."

Then the Vandals were obliged to take the sheaves to their stalls, and Berthar ordered fiercely, "Throw the sheaves on the chopping-bench, and cut till the iron breaks."

After that unwise speech of Radgai's there were many quarrels among the men, but both parties endeavored to conceal it from their masters. They had in the first instance stood in the same ranks at the war-games, and imitated each other's style of fighting, as the Princes advised them; now they entered separately into the contests, so that the Prince, before the beginning of the riding-games with shield and staves, said to Theodulf: "Why do the guests keep aloof on their horses? we should be glad to see who deserves the most praise." Theodulf answered: "They themselves wish to avoid the contest; the staves of the Thuringians sound too hard on their shields." Then the Prince rode up to Berthar. "Come Hero, mix thy ranks with our people." The old man answered: "It is only for the sake of peace that I keep our boys separate, lest in the heat of the struggle an ill-thrown staff should excite a quarrel." So the Prince was unwillingly obliged to watch the separate exercises in horsemanship. Nor could he help hearing how his retinue laughed scornfully when the strangers threw their clubs; then a saucy fellow out of the ranks of the Thuringians cried out a tormenting word of insult: "Dog slayer." On the other hand, when the retinue sprang with the throw of the stone, and one of their springs failed, then the Vandals made wry faces, and muttered a mocking word which they had fabricated, because the Thuringians at their meals had highly esteemed round balls made of wheaten dough.

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