in good stead; for I have seen many men from Iceland,
but none his match."

"Lord," said Thrain, "is it your will that I should be with you
this winter?"

The earl took to him, and Thrain was there that winter, and was
thought much of.

There was a man named Kol, he was a great sea-rover. He was the
son of Asmund Ashside, east out of Smoland. He lay east in the
Gota-Elf, and had five ships, and much force.

Thence Kol steered his course out of the river to Norway and
landed at Fold (2), in the bight of the "Bay," and came on
Hallvard Soti unawares, and found him in a loft. He kept them
off bravely till they set fire to the house, then he gave himself
up; but they slew him, and took there much goods, and sailed
thence to Lodese (3).

Earl Hacon heard these tidings, and made them make Kol an outlaw
over all his realm, and set a price upon his head.

Once on a time it so happened that the earl began to speak thus,
"Too far off from us now is Gunnar of Lithend. He would slay my
outlaw if he were here; but now the Icelanders will slay him, and
it is ill that he hath not fared to us."

Then Thrain Sigfus' son answered, "I am not Gunnar, but still I
am near akin to him, and I will undertake this voyage."

The earl said, "I should be glad of that, and thou shalt be very
well fitted out for the journey."

After that his son Eric began to speak, and said, "Your word,
father, is good to many men, but fulfilling it is quite another
thing. This is the hardest undertaking; for this sea-rover is
tough and ill to deal with, wherefore thou wilt need to take
great pains, both as to men and ships for this voyage."

Thrain said, "I will set out on this voyage, though it looks
ugly."

After that the earl gave him five ships, and all well trimmed
and manned. Along with Thrain was Gunnar Lambi's son, and Lambi
Sigurd's son. Gunnar was Thrain's brother's son, and had come to
him young, and each loved the other much.

Eric, the earl's son, went heartily along with them, and looked
after strength for them, both in men and weapons and made such
changes in them as he thought were needful. After they were
"boun," Eric got them a pilot. Then they sailed south along the
land; but wherever they came to land, the earl allowed them to
deal with whatever they needed as their own.

So they held on east to Lodese, and then they heard that Kol was
gone to Denmark. Then they shaped their course south thither;
but when they came