They all agreed to that.
After a time of more waiting a man went out of the yard to see where Halward and Gunnar were, and came back with a serious face.
"Come out with me," he said. "Here's a bad affair."
They all tumbled out together with the lamp, and there found Halward dead in his blood. He was stiffening already.
Then, after silence, all began to talk at once. Nobody could understand the slaying, nobody could doubt who had done it, for everybody had seen Gunnar come into the yard, or the few who had not took it from the many who had. Not a word of doubt was raised about it.
As Halward was a friend of the king's certainly the king must have the news; but all hung back from the errand because all men liked Gunnar. The end of it was that, having brought the body into the yard and covered it with a carpet, they went in to supper and ate and drank thoughtfully and in silence.
While they were sitting at their drink in came Sigurd Helming to see if Gunnar was there. He asked for him and could not but notice how his question was received. Repeating it, he had no answer at all. A third time he asked it, and of one man by name. He was answered that Gunnar had been there, but had spoken to nobody.
"That is not like Gunnar," Sigurd said. "What did he do when he came in?"
"He beckoned to one of us, and went out again."