And slowly he strewed them all over
his long flowing black locks, and his face, and breast, and body.

"Hear me, ye good all ruling Gods, and ye glittering all seeing
stars of heaven; and of men-kind upon earth, Hartvik and Eigil, my
blood brethren!
Here I renounce, on account of the awful calamity which I have
drawn down upon wife and child, and many hundred friends and
strangers, I renounce for ever happiness and joy, song, wine, and
the love of women.
To the dead alone, slain for my crime, with whose ashes I here
cover myself upon their grave mound, do I belong; and among the
living, to my faithful blood brethren.
And if I break this solemnly sworn vow, then be Dame Harthild's
curse wholly fulfilled."

And the stars and his friends in silence heard his vow.

CHAPTER X.

And Halfred kept his word.

Year after year passed away--he told me he no longer knew how often.
Meanwhile midsummer returned--and Halfred lived a life which was as a
living death.

Hartvik and Eigil commanded the Singing Swan, and ruled their sailing
comrades. They chose the design, the port, and the course of their
voyages. Halfred without word, wish, or choice, let everything be.

Only, when the south wind grew too strong for Hartvik's hand, Halfred
strode silently to the helm, and steered until the sea was calm again.

Also, when Vikings attacked the ship, Halfred had forbidden that the
Singing Swan, either by sea or land, should do harm to any--and the
danger became overwhelming, Halfred silently--he raised the battle cry
no more--grasped his hammer, and dashed among the enemy until they gave
way.

But he wielded his hammer only with his left hand--his shield he had
laid aside--and neither with helmet nor mail did he protect his head
and breast.

And throughout the whole year he wore the garment which on that
midsummer night smoke, flame and blood had darkly dyed.

When the Singing Swan drew near the land--the black flame marks on the
wings none were allowed to efface--and Hartvik and Eigil and the
sailors went to the halls of kings, Halfred stayed lying upon deck, and
kept guard over the ship.

And he drank only water out of a cup of the bitter juniperwood.

Eigil brought once, from a king's halls where the Sigskald of yore had
often been a guest, a splendid golden harp, which the queen, in
greeting to her old friend, had sent as a present.

But as the ship turned o