Ingimund said softly, "You have long been true to me, child! Now go, as I bid you, to Hrolleifr, and tell him that my sons will certainly be on his track by morning, so he must fly before dawn. I do not wish my blood to be revenged on him; it becomes me rather to screen the man whom I have taken under my protection as long as I am able." Then, leaning on the boy, he went into the hall, sat himself down in the seat of honour, and bade the servants not light the fire or kindle a lamp before the return of his sons.

The boy ran to the river, and saw Hrolleifr draw out a fine salmon, which he had just caught.

"You

"Dog of a fellow!" shouted the exasperated boy. have done a deed for which no mulct will be asked. Now, reluctantly, I bring you a message from the dying lips of him whom you have slain. Fly at once, before the brothers are after you; yet, on my honour, I long to see their axes rattling about your skull."

"Were it not for the news you bring me," answered Hrolleifr," you should not slip away with a sound skin."

Now I must tell you that Ingimund's sons came home in the gloaming, and talked thus to each other on their way

"The like of Hrolleifr is not to be found far and near!" And Thorstein added, "My mind sadly misgives me about my father's ride to the river. There is no knowing what mischief that Hrolleifr might do !"

They came in; Thorstein walked to the end of the hall, and, whilst feeling along the ground with his hands, he asked, "How comes there any wet here?"

The housewife answered that it ran in all probability from the old man's clothes; but Thorstein said, "It is gluey, like blood! Quick! kindle a light!"

When this was done, they found Ingimund enthroned in his high seat, dead, and the spear was thrust through him.

Jökull was like a madman. Thorstein could hardly restrain him from rushing off to revenge himself on the murderer. "You do not know the kind-heartedness of our father. The boy is not here. Undoubtedly our father sent

him to warn the miscreant to escape. It is then useless our hastening to As; we must rather take counsel in the matter, and not act precipitately. Truly! there is a great disparity between our father and his murderer, and this will avail him before Him who created the sun and all the heavens, and who assuredly is Great, whoever He may be."

Jökull was quite frantic, and there was no pacifying him. Just then the lad returned, and Jökull was wroth with him for having warned the murderer. But Thorstein observed that the boy was not to blame, as he had acted in accordance with the father's wishes.

After the burial the brothers agreed not to occupy their father's seat, nor to frequent public gatherings, till he was avenged.

"And this," said Mr. Briggs, as we plunged into the river," is probably the very spot where the brave old man received the blow. Look! yonder, on the opposite side, is the bed of rolled stones from which the scoundrel-I can't remember his name, much less pronounce it-picked up the boulders wherewith to defend himself. Now go on with the story, and don't add anything of your own, or you will spoil it."

"Instead of adding to the narrative, I am going to curtail it; and I shall pass over the meeting of Hrolleifr with his ugly mother, and the advice she gave him to flit at once, as the first nights after a murder are the bloodiest, and I shall land Hrolleifr in Skaga-fjord, whither he fled, at the house of his kinsman Geirmund, of Sæmundarhlith."

66

Well, what news?" was Geirmund's exclamation, as Hrolleifr cantered up to his door.

"Ingimund, the bonder, has been slain!"

"Alas! there fell a right worthy man."

"He was rather shilly-shally though!" broke in the murderer.

"But how was he killed?"

Hrolleifr told his kinsman the story. Geirmund waxed wroth, and said, "I see clearly that of all ill-disposed fellows

you are the worst, a low, luckless blackguard. Be off, I'll not have you here."

"I am not going to budge from this spot," replied the other. "Here I remain, here I shall be taken, and here slain; then you shall bear the disgrace. Remember, my father fell in your service."

"Stay if you choose," quoth Geirmund; "but directly Ingimund's sons come here, I shall give you up."

There was a hay-barn close by, and Hrolleifr said that he should hide in it.

"As you please," from Geirmund.

Ingimund's sons remained quiet during the winter, and sat on the nether bench, and did not show at any pleasure parties, or at the Things; but as summer drew nigh, Thorstein collected his brothers and proposed that the conduct of the revenge should be entrusted to one of them. The brothers unanimously agreed that Thorstein, as being the coolest and most sensible of them all, should be their leader.

you

One morning he woke them early, and said: "Busk for a ride!" The brothers rose and mounted their horses: no one accompanied them. Thorstein led them to Geirmund's house, and he received them cordially. They spent the night with him and were most hospitably treated. Next morning Thorstein told his brothers to have a game of draughts whilst he went out to take a quiet chat with their host. They did so: then Thorstein drew Geirmund aside, and said, "We have come hither in quest of Hrolleifr, whom we expect to find skulking hereabouts. You are the man to help us, as it was through your father that the scoundrel came to my father. Now I know that the deed done was far from

your wish.' "It was so, truly," answered Geirmund; "you are quite right to hunt the murderer down. However, he is not in my house."

"No," said Thorstein; "but we are convinced that he is in your shed. Look here! I make over a hundred pieces of silver to you; dismiss Hrolleifr, and I shall take precautions that his blood be not shed on your lands, so that no stain

may rest on you for suffering it. Track him down we must. Go to the barn and tell the fellow that we are here, and that you have no thoughts of keeping us from off him."

"I shall do so," replied Geirmund; "and advise him to decamp; and do you track him down when he has left my shelter."

Geirmund then stole into the out-house and told Hrolleifr that Ingimund's sons were in full hue and cry after him. “Then I must run for it," said the skulking rascal. Geirmund returned to Thorstein and said, "Don't be too hasty, wait here another day." To this the young man agreed. Next morning the brothers took themselves over the scaur, and lighted on the track of a man in the snow. "Let us sit down here," quoth Thorstein; "and I shall tell you my conversation with Geirmund. It is true that Hrolleifr was at his house whilst we were there."

“You are a fine fellow," burst forth Jökull, "to dangle about a farm composedly, whilst your father's murderer was within reach. Had I only known it, none of your wise reasons would have withheld me from my revenge.

"Be patient," said Thorstein; "it would not have done to let Geirmund be involved in the murder of his kinsman. We are in full scent now; here are the traces in the snow, pointing towards As. Now I guess that Ljót will be offering a sacrifice for the coming in of summer, according to her wont, and we must strike the blow before that is accomplished."

Jökull jumped up shouting, "Let us hasten on at once!" and as he was walking ahead, he looked scornfully over his shoulder, and said, "Bad luck to a man as frail of hand and heart as brother Thorstein. I am sure the chance of revenge will slip through our fingers through his procrastination, and we shall do nothing."

Thorstein answered calmly, "It is not clear yet that your indiscreet impetuosity would be more advantageous than my matured plans."

Towards undern they reached Hóf, and supper was ready..

Thorstein stepped outside, and calling a herdsman to him, said, "Run to As, tap at the door, and see how long they are before opening the door; sing in the meantime some verses, and give out as your errand, a search after strayed sheep. Should they ask whether we have returned, reply in the negative."

The shepherd went to As and knocked at the door; no one answered his rap, till he had trolled out twelve verses, then a house-churl came and asked what he wanted, and also whether the brothers had come home. He replied that they had not, and then asked after his sheep: he was told that they had not strayed thither.

So the shepherd returned, and told Thorstein how many verses he had chanted.

"Humph!" quoth Thorstein; "then they had ample time for arranging things within before they admitted you: but did you step inside?"

He said that he had, and that he had looked about him.
Thorstein inquired, "Was there a brisk fire on the

hearth?"

The man replied that there was, "Just enough to be quickened up in a twinkling."

"Did you notice any peculiarity at all about the house?" "Yes," answered the shepherd; "there was a great bundle in one corner, and a bit of red dress peeping out of it." Thorstein exclaimed, "Then you saw the sacrificial robe! we must give chase at once, and do our best."

So he and his brothers hurried to As, and no one was outside the house; they saw a heap of logs on either side of the roof-ridge filling up the space between the gables, and a little house standing before the door of the byre.

"That is the temple," quoth Thorstein; "Hrolleifr will go thither when all his devilry is ready. Now, all of you hide behind the corner of the house, and I will sit up here over the door, holding a club in my hand. When Hrolleifr steps out, I will throw the log towards you, and then rush to my assistance."