round him could hear:--

"Listen, my lord, to my plain word.
I too was there, and had to bear
A bloody head from Stiklestad:
For I was then with Olaf's men.
Listen to me: well did I see
The men you're trusting the dead corpse thrusting
Out of their way, as dead it lay;
And striking o'er your father's gore."

There was instantly a great uproar, and some told Thorgeir to go out;
but the king called him, and not only despatched his business to his
satisfaction, but promised him favour and friendship.

15. KALF ARNASON FLIES THE COUNTRY

Soon after this the king was at a feast at the farm of Haug in Veradel,
and at the dinner-table Kalf Arnason sat upon one side of him, and Einar
Tambaskelfer on the other. It was already come so far that the king took
little notice of Kalf, but paid most attention to Einar. The king said
to Einar, "Let us ride to-day to Stiklestad. I should like to see the
memorials of the things which took place there." Einar replies, "I can
tell thee nothing about it; but take thy foster-father Kalf with thee;
he can give thee information about all that took place." When the tables
were removed, the king made himself ready, and said to Kalf, "Thou must
go with me to Stiklestad."

Kalf replied, "That is really not my duty."

Then the king stood up in a passion, and said, "Go thou shalt, Kalf!"
and thereupon he went out.

Kalf put on his riding clothes in all haste, and said to his foot-boy,
"Thou must ride directly to Eggja, and order my house-servants to ship
all my property on board my ship before sunset."

King Magnus now rides to Stiklestad, and Kalf with him. They alighted
from horseback, and went to the place where the battle had been. Then
said the king to Kalf, "Where is the spot at which the king fell?"

Kalf stretched out his spear-shaft, and said, "There he lay when he
fell."

The king: "And where wast thou, Kalf?"

Kalf: "Here where I am now standing."

The king turned red as blood in the face, and said, "Then thy axe could
well have reached him."

Kalf replied, "My axe did not come near him;" and immediately went to
his horse, sprang on horseback, and rode away with all his men; and
the king rode back to Haug. Kalf did not stop until he got home in the
evening to Eggja. There his ship lay ready at the shore side, and
all his effects were on board, and the vessel manned with his
house-servants. They set off immediately by night do