n against him. Assur was the name of one
of the greatest of the bondes on the island, and he answered Erling on
account of the others. The Thing was long assembled; but at the close
the bondes gave the case into Erling's own power, and he appointed a
meeting in the town within one week, and named fifteen bondes who should
appear there. When they came, he condemned them to pay a penalty of
300 head of cattle; and the bondes returned home ill pleased at this
sentence. Soon after the Gaut river was frozen, and Erling's ships were
fast in the ice; and the bondes kept back the mulct, and lay assembled
for some time. Erling made a Yule feast in the town; but the Hising
people had joint-feasts with each other, and kept under arms during
Yule. The night after the fifth day of Yule Erling went up to Hising,
surrounded Assur's house, and burnt him in it. He killed one hundred
men in all, burnt three houses, and then returned to Konungahella. The
bondes came then, according to agreement, to pay the mulct.

20. DEATH OF FRIREK KEINA AND BJARNE.

Erling Skakke made ready to sail in spring as soon as he could get his
ships afloat for ice, and sailed from Konungahella; for he heard that
those who had formerly been Markus's friends were marauding in the north
of Viken. Erling sent out spies to learn their doings, searched for
them, and found them lying in a harbour. Onund Simonson and Ornolf
Skorpa escaped, but Frirek Keina and Bjarne the Bad were taken, and many
of their followers were killed. Erling had Frirek bound to an anchor
and thrown overboard; and for that deed Erling was much detested in the
Throndhjem country, for the most powerful men there were relatives of
Frirek. Erling ordered Bjarne the Bad to be hanged; and he uttered,
according to his custom, many dreadful imprecations during his
execution. Thorbjorn Skakkaskald tells of this business:--

"East of the Fjord beyond the land,
Unnoticed by the pirate band,
Erling stole on them ere they knew,
And seized and killed all Keina's crew.
Keina, fast to an anchor bound,
Was thrown into the deep-blue Sound;
And Bjarne swung high on gallows-tree,
A sight all good men loved to see."

Onund and Ornolf, with the band that had escaped, fled to Denmark; but
were sometimes in Gautland, or in Viken.

21. CONFERENCE BETWEEN ERLING AND EYSTEIN.

Erling Skakke sailed after this to Tunsberg, and remained there very
long in spring