“You must be prepared,” said Thorhall, “for work which would not be fitting for a weak-minded person, because of the apparitions which have been there lately.  I will not deceive you about it.”

“I shall not give myself up as lost for the ghostlings,” he said.

“Before I am scared some others will not be easy.  I shall not change my quarters on that account.”

The terms were easily arranged and Thorgaut was engaged for the sheep during the winter.  When the summer had passed away he took over charge of them, and was on good terms with everybody.  Glam continued his rides on the roofs.  Thorgaut thought it very amusing and said the thrall must come nearer if he wished to frighten him.  Thorhall advised him not to say too much, and said it would be better if they did not come into conflict.

Thorgaut said:  “Surely all the spirit has gone out of you.  I shall not fall dead in the twilight for stories of that sort.”

Yule was approaching.  On the eve the shepherd went out with his sheep.  The mistress said:  “Now I hope that our former experiences will not be repeated.”

“Have no fear for that, mistress,” he said.  “There will be something worth telling of if I come not back.”

Then he went out to his sheep.  The weather was rather cold and there was a heavy snowstorm.  Thorgaut usually returned when it was getting dark, but this time he did not come.  The people went to church as usual, but they thought matters looked very much as they did on the last occasion.  The bondi wanted them to go out and search for the shepherd, but the churchgoers cried off, and said they were not going to trust themselves into the power of trolls in the night; the bondi would not venture out and there was no search.  On Yule day after their meal they went out to look for the shepherd, and first went to Glam’s cairn, feeling sure that the shepherd’s disappearance must be due to him.  On approaching the cairn they saw an awful sight; there was the shepherd, his neck broken, and every bone in his body torn from its place.  They carried him to the church and no one was molested by Thorgaut.

Glam became more rampageous than ever.  He was so riotous that at last everybody fled from Thorhallsstad, excepting the bondi and his wife.

Thorhall’s cowherd had been a long time in his service and he had become attached to him; for this reason and because he was a careful herdsman he did not want to part with him.  The man was very old and thought it would be very troublesome to have to leave; he saw, too, that everything the bondi possessed would be ruined if he did not stay to look after them.  One morning after midwinter the mistress went to the cow-house to milk the cows as usual.  It was then full day, for no one would venture out of doors till then, except the cowherd, who went directly it was light.  She heard a great crash in the cow-house and tremendous bellowing.  She rushed in, shouting that something awful, she knew not what, was going on in the cow-house.  The bondi went out and found the cattle all goring each other.  It seemed not canny there, so he went into the shed and there saw the cowherd lying on his back with his head in one stall and his feet in the other.