THE thrall's curse.

At the end of the days of Harold Fairhair there was a mighty lord in Norway whose name was Thorkel Goldhelm, and he dwelt in Sumadale in North Mæren. He had a wedded wife, and three sons by her. The name of the eldest was Ari, the second was called Gisli, and the third Thorbjorn. They were all young men of promise. There was a man too, named Isi, who ruled over the Fjardarfolk His daughter's name was Ingibjorga, and she was the fairest of women. Ari, Thorkel's son, asked her to wife, and she was wedded to him. He got a great dower with her, and amongst the rest that she brought with her from her home was a man named Kol : he was of high degree, but he had been taken captive in war, and was called a ThralL So he came with Ingibjorga to Sumadala Thorkel gave over to his son Ari a rich farm up in the dale, and there he set up his abode, and was looked on as a most rising maa

But now our story goes on to tell of a man named Bjom, nicknamed Bjom the Black. He was a Bearsark, and much given to duels. Twelve men went at his heel, and besides he

Ð

2 CISLI THE OUTLAW.

was skilled in the black art, and no steel could touch his skin. No wonder he was unbeloved by the people, for he turned aside as he listed into the houses of men, and took away their wives and daughters, and kept them with him as long as he liked. All raised an outcry when he came, and all were fain when he went away. Well, as soon as"^ this Bjorn heard that Ari had brought home a fair wife with a rich dower, he thought he would have a finger in that pie. .Sp he turned his steps thither with his crew, and reached the house at eventide. As soon as Ari and Bjorn met, Bjorn told him that he wanted to play the master in that house, and that Ingibjorga, the housewife, should be at his beck and call whenever he chose. As for Ari, he said he might please himself, go away or stay, so he let Bjorn have his will. But Ari said he would not go aw ay, nor would he let him play the master there,

** Very well !" says Bjorn, " thou shalt have another choice. I will challenge thee to fight on the island, if thoti darest, three days from this, and then we will try whose Ingibjorga shall be ; and he, too, shall take all the other's goods who wins the day. Now, mind, I will neither ransom myself wúth money, nor will I suffer any one else to ransom himself. One shall conquer and the other die.''

Ari said he was w^ilHng enough to fight ; so the Bearsarks went their way and busked them to battle. To make a long story short, they met on the island, and the end of their struggle was, that Ari fell ; but the Bearsark was not wounded, for no steel would touch him.

THE thrall's curse. S

Now Bjom thought he had won wife, and land, and goods, and he gave out that he meant to go at even to Ari's house to claim his own. Then Gisli, ' Ari's brother, answered and said: '^It will soon be all over with me and mine if this disgrace comes to pass, that this ruffian tramples us under foot But this shall never be, for I will challenge thee at once to battle to-morrow morning. I would far rather fall on the island than bear this shame."

** Well and good," says Bjom ; " thou and thy kith and kin shall all fall one after the other, if ye dare to fight with me."

After that they parted, and Gisli went home to the house that Ari had owned. Now the tidings were told of what had happened on the island, and of Ari's death, and all thought that a great blow to the house. But Gisli goes to Ingibjorga, and tells her of Ari's fall, and how he had challenged Bjom to the island, and how they were to fight the very next morning.

** That is a bootless imdertaking,'' said Ingibjorga, ** and I fear it will not tum out well for thee, unless thou hast other help to lean on.'*

" Ah !" said Gisli, ** then I beg that thou and all else who are likeliest to yield help will do their best that victory may seem more hopeful than it now looks."

** Bjiow this," says Ingibjorga, ** that I was not so very fond of Ari that I would not rather have had thee. There is a man," she said, ** who, methinks, is likeliest to be able to help in this matter, so that it may be well with thee."

« Wio is that r asks Gisli.

4 GISU THE OUTLAW.

** It is Kol, my fosteivfather," was the answer ; " for I ween he has a sword that is said to be better than most others, though he seems to set little store by it, for he calls it his 'Chopper;' but whoever wields that sword wins the day."

So they sent for Kol, and he came to meet Gisli and Ingibjorga.

" Hast thou ever a good sword?" asked Gisli.

" My sword is no great treasure," answers Kol ; " but yet there are many things in the churl's cot which are not in the king's grange."

** Wilt thou not lend me the sword for my duel with Bjom V said Gisli.

** Ah ! " said Kol, *' then will happen what ever happens with those things that are treasures — you will never wish to give it up. But for all that, I tell thee now that this sword will bite whatever its blow falls on, be it iron or aught else ; nor can its edge be deadened by spells, for it was foiled by the Dwarves, and its name is * Graysteel.' And now make up thy mind that I shall take it very ill if I do not get the sword back when I claim it"

** It were most unfair," says Gisli, " that thou shouldst not get back the sword after I have had the use of it in my need."

Now Gisli takes the sword, and the night glides away. Next mom, ere they went from home to the duel, Thorbjorn called out to Gisli his brother, and said : " Which of us twain now shall fight with the Bearsark to-day, and which of us sliall slaughter the calf?"

THE thrall's caiisE. 5

" My counsel," said Gisli, " is, that thou shalt slaughter the calf while I and Bjorn try our strength." He did not choose the easiest task.

So they set off to the island, and Gisli and Bjom stood face to face on it Then Gisli bade Bjom strike the first blow. " No one has ever made me that offer before," said Bjom ; *' indeed no one has ever challenged me before this day save thou." So Bjom made a blow at Gisli, but Gisli threw his shield before him, and the sword hewed off from the shield all that it smote from below the handle. Then Gisli smote at Bjom in his turn, and the stroke fell on the tail of the shield and shore it right off, and then passed on and stmck off his leg below the knee. One other stroke he dealt him and took off his head. Tlien he and his men turned on Bjom's followers^ and some ace slain and some chased away into the woods.

After that Gisli goes home and got good fame for this feat, and then he took the farm as his heritiige after Ari his brother ; and he got Ingibjorga also to wife, for he would not let a good woman go out of the family. And time rolls on, but he did not give up the good swoixl, nor had Kol ever asked for it

One day they two met out of doors, and Gisli had " Graysteel " in his hand, and Kol had an axe. Kol asked whether he thought the sword had stood him in good stead, and Gisli Wius full of its praises. " Well now," said Kol, ** I should like to have it back if thou thinkest it has done thee good service in thy need/'

6 GISU THE OUTLAW.

« Wilt thou sell it ? "" says GislL

** No," says KoL

" I will give thee thy freedom and goods, so that thou mayest fare whither thou wilt with other men.*'

•* I will not sell it," says KoL

*' Then I will give thee thy freedom, and lease or give thee land, and besides I will give thee sheep and cattle and goods as much as thou needest."

*' I will not sell it a whit more for that," says KoL

** Indeed," says Gisli, "thou art too wilful to cling to it thus. Put thine own price on it — any sum thou choosest in money — and be sure I will not stand at trifles if thou wilt come to tenns in some way. Besides, I will give thee thy freedom and a becoming match if thou hast any liking for any one."

" There is no use talking about it," says Kol ; ** I will not sell it whatsoever thou ofiferest But now it just comes to what I feared at first, when I said it was not sure whether thou woiddest be ready to give the sword up if thou knewest what virtue was in it*'

•* And I too," says Gisli, "will say what will happen. Good will befall neither of us, for I have not the heart to give up the sword, and it shall never come into any other man's hand than mine if I may have my will."

Then Kol lifts up his axe, while Gisli brandished "Graysteel," and each smote at the other. Kol's blow fell on Gisli's head, so that it sank into the brain, but the sword fell on Kol's head, and did not bite ; but still the blow was so stoutly dealt

THE thrall's CUKSB. 7

that the skull was shattered and the sword broke asunder. Then Kol said :

"It had been better now that I had got back my sword when I asked for it ; and yet this is but the beginning of the ill-luck which it will bring on thy kith and kin." Thus both of them lost their lives.

CHAPTEK lí.

kolbein's killing.

Now after that Ingibjorga longed to get away from Surnadale, and went home to her father with her goods. As for Thorbjom, he looked about for a wife, and went east across the Keel to Fressey, and wooed a woman named Isgerda, and got her. After that he went back home to Sumadale and set up housekeeping with his father. Thorkel Goldhelm lived but a little while afterwards ere he fell sick and died, and Thorbjom took all the heritage after his father. He was afterwards called Thorbjom Soursop, and he dwelt at Stock in Sumadale. He and Isgerda had childrea Their eldest son was Thorkel, the second Gisli, and the third Ari, but he was sent at once to be fostered at Fressey, and he is little heard of in this story. Their daughtei-'s name was Thordisa She was their eldest child. Thorkel was a tall man and fair of face, of huge strength, and the greatest dandy. Gisli was swarthy of hue, and as tall as the tallest : 'twas hard to tell how strong he was. He was a man who could turn his hand to anything, and was ever at work — mild of temper too. Their sister Tliordisa was a fair woman to look on, high-minded, and rather hard of heart. She was a dashing, forward woman.

KULBKINS KILLING. *.»

At that time tliere were two young men in Sumadale, whose names were Bard and Kolbein. They were both well-to-do, and though they were not akin, they had each a little before lost their father on a cruise to England. Hella was the name of Bard's house, and Granskeid was where Kolbein dwelt. They were much about the same age as Thorbjom's sons, and th(»y were all full of mirth and frolic. This was just about the time when Hacon Athelstane's foster-child was king of Norway.

Well, we must go on to say that this Kolbein, of whom we have spoken, grew very fond of coming to Tliorbjorn's house, and when there thought it best sport of all to talk with Thordisa. Before long other folk began to talk about this ; and so much was said about it that it came to her father's cars, and he thought he saw it all as clear as day. Then Thorbjorn spoke to his sons, and bade them find a cure for this. Gisli said it was easy enough to cure things in which there was no harm.

" If we are to speak, don't say things which seem as though you wanted to pick a quarrel"

**I see," said Thorbjorn, **that this has got wind far too widely, and that it will be out of our power to smother it. Nevertheless, too, it seems much more likely that thou and thy brother are cravens, with little or no feeling of honour."

Gisli went on to say, •* Don't fret thyself, father, about his coming. I will speak to him to stop his visits hither."

*• Ah!" cried out Thorbjorn, *' thou art likelier to go and beg and pray him not to come hither, and be so eager as even to thank him for so doing, and to show thyself a dastai-d in every

10 GISLI THE OUTLAW.

way, and after all to do nothing if he does not listen to thy words."

Now Gisli goes away, and he and his father stayed their talk ; but the very next time that Kolbein came thither, Gisli went with him on his way hqme when he left, and spoke to him, and says he will not suffer him to come thither any longer ; ** for my father frets himself about thy visits : for folks say that thou beguilest my sister Thordisa, and that is not at all to my father's mind. * As for me, I will do all I can, if thou dost as I wish, to bring mirth and sport into thy house.**

" What's the good," said Kolbein, " of talking of things which thou knowest can never be? I know not whether is more irksome to me, thy father's fretfulness, or the thought of giving way to his wish. * Verily the words of the weak are little worth.'"

•* That is not the way to take it," answers Gisli ** The end of this will be, that at last when it comes to the push I will set most store by my father's wilL Methought now it was worth trying whether thou wouldest do this for my word's sake ; then thou mightest have asked as much from me another time ; but I am afraid that we shall not like it^ if thou art bent on being cross-grained."

To that Kolbein said little, and so they parted. Then Gisli went home, and so things rested for a while, and Kolbein's visits were somewhat fewer and farther between than they had been. At last he thinks it dull at home, and goes ofbener to Thorbjoni's housa So one day when he had come thither Gisli sat in the

kolbein's killing. 11

liall aud smithied, and his father and his brother and sister were there too. Thorkel was the cheeriest towards Kolbein ; and these three — Thorkel, and Thordisa> and Kolbein — all sat on the cross-bench. But when the day was far spent, and evening fell, they rose up and went out. Thorbjorn and Gisli were left behind in the hall, and Thorbjorn began to say :

" Thy begging and praying has not been worth much ; for both thy undertaking was girlish, and indeed I can scarce say whether I am to reckon thee and thy brother as my sons or my daughters. Tis hard to learn, when one is old, that one has sons who have no more manly thoughts than women had in olden times, and ye two are utterly unlike my brothers Gisli and ArL"

** Thou hast no need," answered Gisli, " to take it so much to heart ; for no one can say how a man will behave till he is tried."

With this Gisli could not bear to listen longer to his father s gibes, and went out Just then Thorkel and Kolbein were going out at the gate, and Thordisa had turned back for the halL Gisli went out after them, and so they all walked along together. Again Gisli besought Kolbein to cease his visits, but Kolbein said he weened that no good would come of that Then Gisli said :

" So you set small store by my words, and now we shall lay down our companionship in a worse way than I thought"

" I don't see how I can help that," said Kolbein.

** Why," said Gisli, ** one of two things must happen : either

12 GISLI THE OUTLAW.

that thou settest some store by my words, or if thou dost not, then 1 will forsake all the friendship that has been between us/'

** Thou must settle that as thou pleasest," says Kolbein ; " but for all that I cannot find it in my heart to break off. my visits."

At that Gisli drew his sword and smot^ at him, and that one stroke was more than enough for Kolbein.

Thorkel was very vexed at the deed, but Gisli bade his brother be soothed. ** Let us change swords,** he said ; ** and take thou that with the keenest edge." This he said, mocking ; but Thorkel was soothed, and sate down by Kolbein.

Then Gisli went home to his father's hall, and Thorbjom asked :

" Well, how has thy begging and praying sped?**

*' Well," says Gisli, ** I think I may say that it has well sped ; because we settled ere we parted just now that Kolbein should cease his visits, that they might not anger thee."

** That can only be," said Thorbjom, " if he be dead."

•* Then be all the better pleased," says Gisli, " that thy will hath been done in this matter."

'* Good luck to thy hand," said Thorbjom. " Maybe after all that I have not daughters alone to my children."