第104章

Thord replies, "It is worse than that, for there has occurred a very important affair.Hrorek is fled, and two of the court-men are killed."The king asked how this had taken place, and Thord told him all he knew.The king got up immediately, ordered to sound the call for a meeting of the court, and when the people were assembled he named men to go out to every quarter from the town, by sea and land, to search for Hrorek.Thorer Lange took a boat, and set off with thirty men; and when day dawned they saw two small boats before them in the channel, and when they saw each other both parties rowed as hard as they could.King Hrorek was there with thirty men.When they came quite close to each other Hrorek and his men turned towards the land, and all sprang on shore except the king, who sat on the aft seat.He bade them farewell, and wished they might meet each other again in better luck.At the same moment Thorer with his company rowed to the land.Fin the Little shot off an arrow, which hit Thorer in the middle of the body, and was his death; and Sigurd Hit, with his men, ran up into the forest.Thorer's men took his body, and transported it, together with Hrorek, to Tunsberg.King Olaf undertook himself thereafter to look after King Hrorek, made him be carefully guarded, and took good care of his treason, for which reason he had a watch over him night and day.King Hrorek thereafter was very gay, and nobody could observe but that he was in every way well satisfied.

85.OF HROREK'S ASSAULT.

It happened on Ascension-day that King Olaf went to high mass, and the bishop went in procession around the church, and conducted the king; and when they came back to the church the bishop led the king to his seat on the north side of the choir.

There Hrorek sat next to the king, and concealed his countenance in his upper cloak.When Olaf had seated himself Hrorek laid his hand on the king's shoulder, and felt it.

"Thou hast fine clothes on, cousin, today," said he.

King Olaf replies, "It is a festival today, in remembrance that Jesus Christ ascended to heaven from earth."King Hrorek says, "I understand nothing about it so as to hold in my mind what ye tell me about Christ.Much of what ye tell me appears to me incredible, although many wonderful things may have come to pass in old times."When the mass was finished Olaf stood up, held his hands up over his head, and bowed down before the altar, so that his cloak hung down behind his shoulders.Then King Hrorek started up hastily and sharply, and struck at the king with a long knife of the kind called ryting; but the blow was received in the upper cloak at the shoulder, because the king was bending himself forwards.The clothes were much cut, but the king was not wounded.When the king perceived the attack he sprang upon the floor; and Hrorek struck at him again with the knife, but did not reach him, and said, "Art thou flying, Olaf, from me, a blind men?" The king ordered his men to seize him and lead him out of the church, which was done.After this attempt many hastened to King Olaf, and advised that King Hrorek should be killed."It is," said they, "tempting your luck in the highest degree, king, to keep him with you, and protect him, whatever mischief he may undertake; for night and day he thinks upon taking your life.

And if you send him away, we know no one who can watch him so that he will not in all probability escape; and if once he gets loose he will assemble a great multitude, and do much evil."The king replies, "You say truly that many a one has suffered death for less offence than Hrorek's; but willingly I would not darken the victory I gained over the Upland kings, when in one morning hour I took five kings prisoners, and got all their kingdoms: but yet, as they were my relations, I should not be their murderer but upon need.As yet I can scarcely see whether Hrorek puts me in the necessity of killing him or not."It was to feel if King Olaf had armour on or not that Hrorek had laid his hand on the king's shoulder.

86.KING HROREK'S JOURNEY TO ICELAND.

There was an Iceland man, by name Thorarin Nefiulfson, who had his relations in the north of the country.He was not of high birth, but particularly prudent, eloquent, and agreeable in conversation with people of distinction.He was also a far-travelled man, who had been long in foreign parts.Thorarin was a remarkably ugly man, principally because he had very ungainly limbs.He had great ugly hands, and his feet were still uglier.