to make it up with him,
and to give him so much of your territories as you may agree upon with
him; and offer him your daughter too, if we can recover our son. That
will be better than that you should part from him in enmity. And even
if he already has wide territory, he has not a wife as beautiful as
she."

"I had not intended to offer her to anyone," replied the King; "but as
you are so wise, you shall decide."

Messengers were sent accordingly to King Heithrek to bring about a
reconciliation. A council was held and a reconciliation effected by
Heithrek's marrying Hergerth, the daughter of King Hrollaug; and she
brought him as her dowry Wendland, the province which lies nearest to
Reithgotaland.

On one occasion the King was riding his best horse as he was
conducting Sifka home. It was late in the evening, and when the King
came to a river his horse fell dead. Shortly afterwards, when Sifka
attempted to embrace him, he threw her down and broke her leg.
Afterwards King Heithrek settled down in his own kingdom and became a
great sage.

X. They had a daughter called Hervoer who was brought up by a man
called Ormar. She was a most beautiful girl, but as tall and strong as
a man, and trained herself in the use of bow and arrows.

There was a great man in Reithgotaland called Gestumblindi, who was
not on good terms with King Heithrek.

In the King's retinue there were seven men whose duty it was to decide
all the disputes that arose in that country.

King Heithrek worshipped Frey, and he used to give Frey the biggest
boar he could find. They regarded it as so sacred that in all
important cases they used to take the oath on its bristles. It was the
custom to sacrifice this boar at the 'sacrifice of the herd.' On Yule
Eve the 'boar of the herd' was led into the hall before the King.
Then men laid their hands on his bristles and made solemn vows. King
Heithrek himself made a vow that however deeply a man should have
wronged him, if he came into his power he should not be deprived of
the chance of receiving a trial by the King's judges; but he should
get off scot free if he could propound riddles which the King could
not answer. But when people tried to ask the King riddles, not one was
put to him which he could not solve.

The King sent a message to Gestumblindi bidding him come to him on
an appointed day; otherwise the King said that he would send to fetch
him. Neither alternative pleased Gestumblindi, because he k