ilt tear thee in stripes." At this dreadful vision he was
much afraid, and tells it to Thord Istermage, who was chief over the
valley. He replies, "The very same vision came to me." In the morning
they ordered the signal to sound for a Thing, and said that it appeared
to them advisable to hold a Thing with the man who had come from the
north with this new teaching, to know if there was any truth in it.
Gudbrand then said to his son, "Go thou, and twelve men with thee, to
the king who gave thee thy life." He went straightway, and found the
king, and laid before him their errand; namely, that the bondes would
hold a Thing with him, and make a truce between them and him. The king
was content; and they bound themselves by faith and law mutually to hold
the peace so long as the Thing lasted. After this was settled the men
returned to Gudbrand and Thord, and told them there was made a firm
agreement for a truce. The king, after the battle with the son of
Gudbrand, had proceeded to Lidstad, and remained there for five days:
afterwards he went out to meet the bondes, and hold a Thing with them.
On that day there fell a heavy rain. When the Thing was seated, the
king stood up and said that the people in Lesjar, Loaf, and Vagar
had received Christianity, broken down their houses of sacrifice, and
believed now in the true God who had made heaven and earth and knows all
things.

Thereupon the king sat down, and Gudbrand replies, "We know nothing of
him whom thou speakest about. Dost thou call him God, whom neither thou
nor any one else can see? But we have a god who call be seen every day,
although he is not out to-day, because the weather is wet, and he will
appear to thee terrible and very grand; and I expect that fear will mix
with your very blood when he comes into the Thing. But since thou sayest
thy God is so great, let him make it so that to-morrow we have a cloudy
day but without rain, and then let us meet again."

The king accordingly returned home to his lodging, taking Gudbrand's
son as a hostage; but he gave them a man as hostage in exchange. In
the evening the king asked Gudbrand's son what like their god was. He
replied, that he bore the likeness of Thor; had a hammer in his hand;
was of great size, but hollow within; and had a high stand, upon which
he stood when he was out. "Neither gold nor silver are wanting about
him, and every day he receives four cakes of bread, besides meat." They
then went to bed, but the ki