e attack he sprang upon
the floor; and Hrorek struck at him again with the knife, but did not
reach him, and said, "Art thou flying, Olaf, from me, a blind men?" The
king ordered his men to seize him and lead him out of the church, which
was done. After this attempt many hastened to King Olaf, and advised
that King Hrorek should be killed. "It is," said they, "tempting your
luck in the highest degree, king, to keep him with you, and protect him,
whatever mischief he may undertake; for night and day he thinks upon
taking your life. And if you send him away, we know no one who can watch
him so that he will not in all probability escape; and if once he gets
loose he will assemble a great multitude, and do much evil."

The king replies, "You say truly that many a one has suffered death for
less offence than Hrorek's; but willingly I would not darken the victory
I gained over the Upland kings, when in one morning hour I took five
kings prisoners, and got all their kingdoms: but yet, as they were my
relations, I should not be their murderer but upon need. As yet I can
scarcely see whether Hrorek puts me in the necessity of killing him or
not."

It was to feel if King Olaf had armour on or not that Hrorek had laid
his hand on the king's shoulder.

86. KING HROREK'S JOURNEY TO ICELAND.

There was an Iceland man, by name Thorarin Nefiulfson, who had his
relations in the north of the country. He was not of high birth, but
particularly prudent, eloquent, and agreeable in conversation with
people of distinction. He was also a far-travelled man, who had been
long in foreign parts. Thorarin was a remarkably ugly man, principally
because he had very ungainly limbs. He had great ugly hands, and
his feet were still uglier. Thorarin was in Tunsberg when this event
happened which has just been related, and he was known to King Olaf by
their having had conversations together. Thorarin was just then done
with rigging out a merchant vessel which he owned, and with which he
intended to go to Iceland in summer. King Olaf had Thorarin with him as
a guest for some days, and conversed much with him; and Thorarin even
slept in the king's lodgings. One morning early the king awoke while
the others were still sleeping. The sun had newly risen in the sky, and
there was much light within. The king saw that Thorarin had stretched
out one of his feet from under the bed-clothes, and he looked at the
foot a while. In the meantime the others in t