heimskringla-第72章

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he　stairs　Sigvat's　foot　slipped；　and　he　fell　on　his　knee；　and　when　he　put　out　his　hands　he　felt　the　stairs　wet。　　〃I　think；〃　said　he；　laughing；　〃the　king　must　have　given　many　of　us　tottering　legs　tonight。〃　　When　they　came　into　the　house　in　which　light　was　burning　the　footboy　said；　〃Have　you　hurt　yourself　that　you　are　all　over　so　bloody？〃　　He　replied；　〃I　am　not　wounded；　but　something　must　have　happened　here。〃　　Thereupon　he　wakened　Thord　Folason；　who　was　standard…bearer；　and　his　bedfellow。　　They　went　out　with　a　light；　and　soon　found　the　blood。　　They　traced　it；　and　found　the　corpses；　and　knew　them。　They　saw　also　a　great　stump　of　a　tree　in　which　clearly　a　gash　had　been　cut；　which；　as　was　afterwards　known；　had　been　done　as　a　stratagem　to　entice　those　out　who　had　been　killed。　　Sigvat　and　Thord　spoke　together　and　agreed　it　was　highly　necessary　to　let　the　king　know　of　this　without　delay。　　They　immediately　sent　a　lad　to　the　lodging　where　Hrorek　had　been。　　All　the　men　in　it　were　asleep；　but　the　king　was　gone。　　He　wakened　the　men　who　were　in　the　house；　and　told　them　what　had　happened。　　The　men　arose；　and　ran　out　to　the　yard　where　the　bodies　were；　but；　however　needful　it　appeared　to　be　that　the　king　should　know　it；　nobody　dared　to　waken　him。

Then　said　Sigvat　to　Thord；　〃What　wilt　thou　rather　do；　comrade；　waken　the　king；　or　tell　him　the　tidings？〃

Thord　replies；　〃I　do　not　dare　to　waken　him；　and　I　would　rather　tell　him　the　news。〃

Then　said　Sigvat；　〃There　is　minch　of　the　night　still　to　pass；　and　before　morning　Hrorek　may　get　himself　concealed　in　such　a　way　that　it　may　be　difficult　to　find　him；　but　as　yet　he　cannot　be　very　far　off；　for　the　bodies　are　still　warm。　　We　must　never　let　the　disgrace　rest　upon　us　of　concealing　this　treason　from　the　king。　　Go　thou；　up　to　the　lodging；　and　wait　for　me　there。〃

Sigvat　then　went　to　the　church；　and　told　the　bell…ringer　to　toll　for　the　souls　of　the　king's　court…men；　naming　the　men　who　were　killed。　　The…bell…ringer　did　as　he　was　told。　　The　king　awoke　at　the　ringing；　sat　up　in　his　bed；　and　asked　if　it　was　already　the　hours　of　matins。

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。　Thorarin　was　in　Tunsberg　when　this　event　happened　which　has　just　been　related；　and　he　was　known　to　King　Olaf　by　their　having　had　conversations　together。　　Thorarin　was　just　then　done　with　rigging　out　a　merchant　vessel　which　he　owned；　and　with　which　he　intended　to　go　to　Iceland　in　summer。　　King　Olaf　had　Thorarin　with　him　as　a　guest　for　some　days；　and　conversed　much　with　him；　and　Thorarin　even　slept　in　the　king's　lodgings。　　One　morning　early　the　king　awoke　while　the　others　were　still　sleeping。　　The　sun　had　newly　risen　in　the　sky；　and　there　was　much　light　within。　　The　king　saw　that　Thorarin　had　stretched　out　one　of　his　feet　from　under　the　bed…clothes；　and　he　looked　at　the　foot　a　while。　　In　the　meantime　the　others　in　the　lodging　awoke；　and　the　king　said　to　Thorarin；　〃I　have　been　awake　for　a　while；　and　have　seen　a　sight　which　was　worth　seeing；　and　that　is　a　man's　foot　so　ugly　that　I　do　not　think　an　uglier　can　be　found　in　this　merchant　town。〃　　Thereupon　he　told　the　others　to　look　at　it；　and　see　if　it　was　not　so；　and　all　agreed　with　the　king。　　When　Thorarin　observed　what　they　were　talking　about；　he　said；　〃There　are　few　things　for　which　you　cannot　find　a　match；　and　that　may　be　the　case　here。〃

The　king　says；　〃I　would　rather　say　that　such　another　ugly　foot　cannot　be　found　in　the　town；　and　I　would　lay　any　wager　upon　it。〃

Then　said　Thorarin；　〃I　am　willing　to　bet　that　I　shall　find　an　uglier　foot　still　in　the　town。〃

The　king　　〃Then　he　who　wins　shall　have　the　right　to　get　any　demand　from　the　other　he　chooses　to　make。〃

〃Be　it　so；〃　said　Thorarin。　　Thereupon　he　stretches　out　his　other　foot　f