The Dane shook himself and looked round him.

And then, without a word of warning, he sprang straight at the slaver and wrested his whip from him.

Then he swung him round by the collar of his leather jerkin, and lashed him in spite of the sword which the man drew.

The idlers shouted, and Werbode laughed, while the two men had all they could do to prevent the other slaves from breaking away; or else they themselves had no reason to object to seeing their master tasting his own sauce.
The heavy plaits of the whiplash curled round the legs of the trader, and he writhed.

They caught his short sword and twitched it from his hand, to send it flying among the gathering crowd, and then the man lay down and howled for mercy.