t to the mound and
took as much of the money as they could carry away in their clothes,
with which, as might be expected, much earth was mixed. Thereafter
Thorer said that the people now should retreat. "And ye brothers, Karle
and Gunstein," says he, "do ye lead the way, and I will go last." They
all went accordingly out of the gate: but Thorer went back to Jomala,
and took a silver bowl that stood upon his knee full of silver money.
He put the silver in his purse, and put his arm within the handle of the
bowl, and so went out of the gate. The whole troop had come without
the fence; but when they perceived that Thorer had stayed behind, Karle
returned to trace him, and when they met upon the path Thorer had the
silver bowl with him. Thereupon Karle immediately ran to Jomala; and
observing he had a thick gold ornament hanging around his neck, he
lifted his axe, cut the string with which the ornament was tied behind
his neck, and the stroke was so strong that the head of Jomala rang
with such a great sound that they were all astonished. Karle seized the
ornament, and they all hastened away. But the moment the sound was made
the watchmen came forward upon the cleared space, and blew their horns.
Immediately the sound of the loor (1) was heard all around from every
quarter, calling the people together. They hastened to the forest, and
rushed into it; and heard the shouts and cries on the other side of the
Bjarmaland people in pursuit. Thorer Hund went the last of the whole
troop; and before him went two men carrying a great sack between them,
in which was something that was like ashes. Thorer took this in his
hand, and strewed it upon the footpath, and sometimes over the people.
They came thus out of the woods, and upon the fields, but heard
incessantly the Bjarmaland people pursuing with shouts and dreadful
yells. The army of the Bjarmaland people rushed out after them upon
the field, and on both sides of them; but neither the people nor their
weapons came so near as to do them any harm: from which they perceived
that the Bjarmaland people did not see them. Now when they reached their
ships Karle and his brother went on board; for they were the foremost,
and Thorer was far behind on the land. As soon as Karle and his men were
on board they struck their tents, cast loose their land ropes, hoisted
their sails, and their ship in all haste went to sea. Thorer and his
people, on the other hand, did not get on so quickly, as their