Kjartan answered nothing, but turned away forthwith without his cloak.  He had on a kirtle of red scarlet.  The king was then well-nigh dressed; he called to Kjartan and bade him not go away so soon.  Kjartan turned back, but rather slowly.  The king then took a very good cloak off his shoulders and gave it to Kjartan, saying he should not go back cloakless to his companions.  Kjartan thanked the king for the gift, and went to his own men and showed them the cloak.  His men were nowise pleased as this, for they thought Kjartan had got too much into the king’s power; but matters went on quietly.  The weather set in very hard that autumn, and there was a great deal of frost, the season being cold.  The heathen men said it was not to be wondered at that the weather should be so bad; “it is all because of the newfangled ways of the king and this new faith that the gods are angry.”  The Icelanders kept all together in the town during the winter, and Kjartan took mostly the lead among them. [Sidenote:  Kjartan discusses the Christian faith] On the weather taking a turn for the better, many people came to the town at the summons of King Olaf.  Many people had become Christains in Thrandhome, yet there were a great many more who withstood the king.  One day the king had a meeting out at Eyrar, and preached the new faith to men—­a long harangue and telling.  The people of Thrandhome had a whole host of men, and in turn offered battle to the king.  The king said they must know that he had had greater things to cope with than fighting there with churls out of Thrandhome.  Then the good men lost heart and gave the whole case into the king’s power, and many people were baptized then and there.  After that, the meeting came to an end.  That same evening the king sent men to the lodgings of the Icelanders, and bade them get sure knowledge of what they were saying.  They did so.  They heard much noise within.  Then Kjartan began to speak, and said to Bolli, “How far are you willing, kinsman, to take this new faith the king preaches?” “I certainly am not willing thereto,” said Bolli, “for their faith seems to me to be most feeble.”  Kjartan said, “Did ye not think the king was holding out threats against those who should be unwilling to submit to his will?” Bolli answered, “It certainly seemed to me that he spoke out very clearly that they would have to take exceeding hard treatment at his hands.”  “I will be forced under no one’s thumb,” said Kjartan, “while I have power to stand up and wield my weapons.  I think it most unmanly, too, to be taken like a lamb in a fold or a fox in a trap.  I think that is a better thing to choose, if a man must die in any case, to do first some such deed as shall be held aloft for a long time afterwards.”  Bolli said, “What will you do?” “I will not hide it from you,” [Sidenote:  Kjartan’s resolve] Kjartan replied; “I will burn the king in his hall.”  “There is nothing cowardly in that,” said Bolli; “but this is not likely to come to pass, as far as I can