Thorkell Trefill now had some misgivings himself as to whether the deaths of the people had indeed taken place as he and Gudmund had said the second time.  Heathen men deemed that on them rested no less responsibility when ceremonies of this kind had to be gone through than Christian men do when ordeals are decreed.  He who passed under “earth-chain” cleared himself if the sward-slip did not fall down upon him.  Thorkell made an arrangement with two men that they should feign quarrelling over something or another, and be close to the spot when the ordeal was being gone through with, and touch the sward-slip so unmistakably that all men might see that it was they who knocked it down.  After this comes forward he who was to go through with the ordeal, and at the nick of time when he had got under the “earth-chain,” these men who had been put up to it fall on each other with weapons, meeting close to the arch of the sward-slip, and lie there fallen, and down tumbles the “earth-chain”, as was likely enough.  Then men rush up between them and part them, which was easy enough, for they fought with no mind to do any harm.  Thorkell Trefill then asked people as to what they thought about the ordeal, and all his men now said that it would have turned out all right if no one had spoilt it.  Then Thorkell took all the chattels to himself, but the land at Hrapstead was left to lie fallow.

CHAP.  XIX

Hrut Comes to Iceland

Now of Hoskuld it is to be told that his state is one of great honour, and that he is a great chieftain. [Sidenote:  Hrut in Norway] He had in his keep a great deal of money that belonged to his (half) brother, Hrut, Herjolf’s son.  Many men would have it that Hoskuld’s means would be heavily cut into if he should be made to pay to the full the heritage of his (Hrut’s) mother.  Hrut was of the bodyguard of King Harald, Gunnhild’s son, and was much honoured by him, chiefly for the reason that he approved himself the best man in all deeds of manly trials, while, on the other hand, Gunnhild, the Queen, loved him so much that she held there was not his equal within the guard, either in talking or in anything else.  Even when men were compared, and noblemen therein were pointed to, all men easily saw that Gunnhild thought that at the bottom there must be sheer thoughtlessness, or else envy, if any man was said to be Hrut’s equal. [Sidenote:  Hrut comes to Iceland] Now, inasmuch as Hrut had in Iceland much money to look after, and many noble kinsfolk to go and see, he desired to go there, and now arrays his journey for Iceland.  The king gave him a ship at parting, and said he had proved a brave man and true.  Gunnhild saw Hrut off to his ship, and said, “Not in a hushed voice shall this be spoken, that I have proved you to be a most noble man, in that you have prowess equal to the best man here in this land, but are in wits a long way before them”.  Then she gave him a gold ring and bade him farewell.  Whereupon