CHAPTER XII.

THIOSTOLF’S FLIGHT.

While this was going on, Thorwald’s men came down with their load, but Thiostolf was not slow in his plans.  He hewed with both hands at the gunwale of the skiff and cut it down about two planks; then he leapt into his boat, but the dark blue sea poured into the skiff, and down she went with all her freight.  Down too sank Thorwald’s body, so that his men could not see what had been done to him, but they knew well enough that he was dead, Thiostolf rowed away up the firth, but they shouted after him wishing him ill luck.  He made them no answer, but rowed on till he got home, and ran the boat up on the beach, and went up to the house with his axe, all bloody as it was, on his shoulder.  Hallgerda stood out of doors, and said—­

“Thine axe is bloody; what hast thou done?”

“I have done now what will cause thee to be wedded a second time.”

“Thou tellest me then that Thorwald is dead?” she said.

“So it is,” said he, “and now look out for my safety.”

“So I will,” she said; “I will send thee north to Bearfirth, to Swanshol, and Swan, my kinsman, will receive thee with open arms.  He is so mighty a man that no one will seek thee thither.”

So he saddled a horse that she had, and jumped on his back, and rode off north to Bearfirth, to Swanshol, and Swan received him with open arms, and said—­

“That’s what I call a man who does not stick at trifles!  And now I promise thee if they seek thee here, they shall get nothing but the greatest shame.”

Now, the story goes back to Hallgerda, and how she behaved.  She called on Liot the black, her kinsman, to go with her, and bade him saddle their horses, for she said—­“I will ride home to my father”.

While he made ready for their journey, she went to her chests and unlocked them, and called all the men of her house about her, and gave each of them some gift; but they all grieved at her going.  Now she rides home to her father; and he received her well, for as yet he had not heard the news.  But Hrut said to Hallgerda—­

“Why did not Thorwald come with thee?” and she answered—­

“He is dead.”

Then Said Hauskuld—­

“That was Thiostolf’s doing?”

“It was,” she said.

“Ah!” said Hauskuld, “Hrut was not for wrong when he told me that this bargain would draw mickle misfortune after it.  But there’s no good in troubling one’s self about a thing that’s done and gone.”

Now the story must go back to Thorwald’s mates, how there they ate, and how they begged the loan of a boat to get to the mainland.  So a boat was lent them at once, and they rowed up the firth to Reykianess, and found Oswif, and told him these tidings.

He said, “Ill luck is the end of ill redes, and now I see how it has all gone.  Hallgerda must have sent Thiostolf to Bearfirth, but she herself must have ridden home to her father.  Let us now gather folk and follow him up thither north.”  So they did that, and went about asking for help, and got together many men.  And then they all rode off to Steingrims river, and so on to Liotriverdale and Selriverdale, till they came to Bearfirth.