and hang
him there. But the goods he took, and brought them to his
mother, and she got men to carry them all down to the King's
Crag, and after that she went thither herself.

Hrut came back towards autumn, and had gotten great store of
goods. He went at once to the king, and had a hearty welcome.
He begged them to take whatever they pleased of his goods, and
the king took a third. Gunnhillda told Hrut how she had got hold
of the inheritance, and had Soti slain. He thanked her, and gave
her half of all he had.

ENDNOTES:

(1) Oresound, the gut between Denmark and Sweden, at the
entrance of the Baltic, commonly called in English, the
Sound.

6. HRUT SAILS OUT TO ICELAND

Hrut stayed with the king that winter in good cheer, but when
spring came he grew very silent. Gunnhillda finds that out, and
said to him when they two were alone together, "Art thou sick at
heart?"

"So it is," said Hrut, "as the saying runs -- `Ill goes it with
those who are born on a barren land.'"

"Wilt thou to Iceland?" she asks.

"Yes," he answered.

"Hast thou a wife out there?" she asked; and he answers, "No."

"But I am sure that is true," she says; and so they ceased
talking about the matter.

Shortly after Hrut went before the king and bade him Good-day;
and the king said, "What dost thou want now, Hrut?"

"I am come to ask, lord, that you give me leave to go to
Iceland."

"Will thine honour be greater there than here?" asks the king.

"No, it will not," said Hrut; "but every one must win the work
that is set before him."

"It is pulling a rope against a strong man," said Gunnhillda, "so
give him leave to go as best suits him."

There was a bad harvest that year in the land, yet Gunnhillda
gave Hrut as much meal as he chose to have; and now he busks him
to sail out to Iceland, and Auzur with him; and when they were
"all-boun," Hrut went to find the king and Gunnhillda. She led
him aside to talk alone, and said to him, "Here is a gold ring
which I will give thee;" and with that she clasped it round his
wrist.

"Many good gifts have I had from thee," said Hrut.

Then she put her hands round his neck and kissed him, and said,
"If I have as much power over thee as I think, I lay this spell
on thee that thou mayst never have any pleasure in living with
that woman on whom thy heart is set in Iceland, but with other
women thou mayst get on well enough, and now it is like to go
well with neither of