Ingjald bade him not to deny it.  “Let us rather come to a bargain together:  you give up the man, and put me to no toil in the matter of getting at him.  I have three marks of silver that you shall have, and I will overlook the offences you have brought on your hands for the shelter given to Thorolf.”  Thord thought the money fair, and had now a promise of acquittal of the offences for which he had hitherto most dreaded and for which he would have to abide sore loss of money.  So he said, “I shall no doubt hear people speak ill of me for this, none the less this will have to be our bargain.”  They slept until it wore towards the latter end of the night, when it lacked an hour of day.

CHAP.  XV

Thorolf’s Escape with Asgaut the Thrall

Ingjald and his men got up and dressed.  Vigdis asked Thord what his talk with Ingjald had been about the evening before.  Thord said they had talked about many things, amongst others how the place was to be ransacked, and how they should be clear of the case if Thorolf was not found there.  “So I let Asgaut, my thrall, take the man away.”  Vigdis said she had no fondness for lies, and said she should be very loath to have Ingjald sniffing about her house, but bade him, however, do as he liked.  After that Ingjald ransacked the place, and did not hit upon the man there. [Sidenote:  The flight of Thorolf and Asgaut] At that moment Asgaut came back, and Vigdis asked him where he had parted with Thorolf.  Asgaut replied, “I took him to our sheephouses as Thord told me to.”  Vigdis replied, “Can anything be more exactly in Ingjald’s way as he returns to his ship? nor shall any risk be run, lest they should have made this plan up between them last night.  I wish you to go at once, and take him away as soon as possible.  You shall take him to Sheepfell to Thorolf; and if you do as I tell you, you shall get something for it.  I will give you your freedom and money, that you may go where you will.”  Asgaut agreed to this, and went to the sheephouse to find Thorolf, and bade him get ready to go at once.  At this time Ingjald rode out of Goddistead, for he was now anxious to get his money’s worth.  As he was come down from the farmstead (into the plain) he saw two men coming to meet him; they were Thorolf and Asgaut.  This was early in the morning, and there was yet but little daylight.  Asgaut and Thorolf now found themselves in a hole, for Ingjald was on one side of them and the Salmon River on the other.  The river was terribly swollen, and there were great masses of ice on either bank, while in the middle it had burst open, and it was an ill-looking river to try to ford.  Thorolf said to Asgaut, “It seems to me we have two choices before us.  One is to remain here and fight as well as valour and manhood will serve us, and yet the thing most likely is that Ingjald and his men will take our lives without delay; and the other is to tackle the river, and yet that, I