arms, and observing his commanding mien, guessed who he must be,
desisted from pursuing the woman, and pardoned her. There were many
foreign men there, and Sigurd made the least appearance among them. One
day Sigurd came into the sitting-room, and a Northman who was splendidly
clothed was playing chess with one of Thorads house-servants. The
Northman called Sigurd, and asked him his advice how to play; but when
Sigurd looked at the board, he saw the game was lost. The man who
was playing against the Northman had a sore foot, so that one toe was
bruised, and matter was coming out of it. Sigurd, who was sitting on the
bench, takes a straw, and draws it along the floor, so that some young
kittens ran after it. He drew the straw always before them, until they
came near the house-servant's foot, who jumping up with a scream, threw
the chessmen in disorder on the board; and thus it was a dispute how the
game had stood. This is given as a proof of Sigurd's cunning. People did
not know that he was a learned clerk until the Saturday before Easter,
when he consecrated the holy water with chant; and the longer he stayed
there the more he was esteemed. The summer after, Sigurd told Thorgils
before they parted, that he might with all confidence address his
friends to Sigurd Slembidjakn. Thorgils asked how nearly he was related
to him, on which he replies, "I am Sigurd Slembidjakn, a son of King
Magnus Barefoot." He then left Iceland.

16. OF SIGURD SLEMBE.

When Harald Gille had been six years (A.D. 1136), king of Norway, Sigurd
came to the country and went to his brother King Harald, and found him
in Bergen. He placed himself entirely in the king's hands, disclosed
who his father was, and asked him to acknowledge their relationship. The
king gave him no hasty or distinct reply; but laid the matter before
his friends in a conference at a specially appointed meeting. After
this conference it became known that the king laid an accusation against
Sigurd, because he had been at the killing of Thorkel Fostre in the
West. Thorkel had accompanied Harald to Norway when he first came to
the country, and had been one of Harald's best friends. This case was
followed up so severely, that a capital accusation against Sigurd was
made, and, by the advice of the lendermen, was carried so far, that some
of the king's pursuivants went one evening late to Sigurd, and called
him to them. They then took a boat and rowed away with Sigurd from the