"Thou art drunk, fool!" roared the Dane. "No man living may do that." "We will see," answered Wulnoth, and placing the block carefully, he bent one knee upon it and gripped it with both hands, while all there rose to their feet to watch him. Then slowly and steadily he pulled, and the muscles of his arms and back stood out like ropes, and he thought within himself that his work with Osth was bearing fruit now. And as he pulled there was a sharp sound of rending wood, and the block fell apart in twain, while all there shouted till the roof rang at this great deed. "Now, by my beard!" cried King Bacseg, "but we have a mighty man here. What sayest thou, Hubba?" "Strong arms and strong wits go not always together. The bear is strong, but the fox beats him in cunning." "Now, that may be," shouted Guthrun, "but we love strong arms rather than quick brains. Still, methinks the Wanderer is not slow of wit either--and he brags not as some do," he added to himself. "What other task wilt thou set me, Hungwar, son of Regner?" asked Wulnoth. "Since I seek thy father's service, I am willing to prove that I am worthy of it." And Hungwar frowned, for, he knew not why, he felt hate for this stranger, and would gladly have put him to shame. "Perchance the block was cracked," he said, "and I noticed it not." And Wulnoth smiled and answered-- "Perchance it was." Then he picked up an iron mace, with the handle an inch thick, and he held it up. "Some of you strike hard blows," he said. "Which, then, will sever this with a clean cut with one blow of the sword?" "I will try," cried Guthrun, for he, like all the vikings, loved trial of strength. So he took the mace and set it on the riven block, and with bared arms he lifted his sword high in the air and smote with all his force, and the sword bit deep into the iron, but severed it not. Then tried Osbern, and after him tried Halfdane, and after him the Norse Jarl Eric, and after him Biorn Ironsides the Mighty, and not one of them could cut quite through the bar. Then Wulnoth took his great sword, and he said, "Give me another bar, for this one is much cut now, and let it be stouter and stronger." "This braggart shall not humble us," thought Hungwar, and he sent for his own mace, and the handle was nigh two inches thick. "Canst cut that, boaster?" he said; and Guthrun cried out that it was not fair since 't was twice as thick as the other. But Wulnoth swung high his sword, and the keen blade sang in the air like the scream of the gull as it flies before the storm. And lo, the iron was sheered in twain, clean cut, and the block beneath it split in two beneath the blow. "Skoal to the Wanderer!" cried the vikings. "Worthy is he to be of our number!" But Wulnoth said-- "Wilt set me another task, O Hungwar?" "By Thor, I will set thee a task!" cried Hubba fiercely. "All this is but child's play and has no danger in it. Come hither, Wiglaf."