CHAPTER X. OF THE MEETING OF THOSE MEN AT

BATHSTEAD.

NOW must we tell how Thorbiorn and his fellows fare from the west, ten in company in a cutter : Sturla was there, and Thiodrek his son, Thorbiorn and Vakr, Brand the Strong and two house-carles ; and their cutter was deeply laden.

That same evening they came to Bathstead just before dark, and Thorbiorn said : "We will fare nought hastily ; we will let the cutter lie here to-

Howard the Halt. 35

night, and bear up nought save our weapons and clothes, for the weather is fine and like to be dry : and thou, Vakr, shalt bear ashore our weapons." So he took their swords first and their spears, and bore them up to the boat-house.

Then said Torfi : " Let us take their swords and him that goes with them."

" Nay, let it be yet," said Howard. But he bade Hallgrim go and take the sword Warflame, and bring it him : so when Vakr went down again, Hallgrim ran and took the sword and brought it to Howard, and he drew it forth and brandished it aloft

Now Vakr came up again, and had laden his back with shields and his arms with steel-hoods, and he had a helm on his head. So when he was gotten to the pool- side they sprang up to take him : but he, hearing the clatter of them deemed full surely that war was abroad, and was minded to run back to his friends with their weapons, but as he turned round sharply, his feet stumbled by the pool, so that he fell down therein head foremost ; the mud was deep there, and the water shallow, and the man heavy-laden with all those weapons ; so he might not get up again, neither would any there help him, and that was Vakr's latter end, that there he died. So when they had seen that, they ran down to the shingle-ridge, and when Thorbiorn beheld them he cast himself into the sea, and struck out from shore. Master Howard was the first to see this hap, and he ran and cast himself also into the sea, and swam after Thorbiorn.

But^of Brand the Strong they say, that rushing

36 The Saga Library.

forward, he caught hold of a ship-runner, a great whale-rib, and drove it into the head of An, Hallgrim j s fosterer; Hallgrim was just come down from the ridge when he saw An fall ; so he ran up with axe raised aloft, and smote Brand on the head, cleaving him down to the shoulders, and it was even therewith that Thorbiorn and Howard leapt into the sea ; and Hallgrim when he saw it leapt in after them.

Torfi Valbrandson ran to meet Sturla, a big and strong man, unmatched in arms, and he had all his war-gear on him : so they fought long, and in manly wise withal.