er people. They spoke some words about it, but could not agree. Then
Thorer turned away; but had not gone far before he came back, and tells
his comrades to wait there. Thereupon he calls to Karle, and says he
wants to speak with him alone. Karle went to meet him; and when he came
near, Thorer struck at him with a spear, so that it went through him.
"There," said Thorer, "now thou hast learnt to know a Bjarkey Island
man. I thought thou shouldst feel Asbjorn's spear." Karle died
instantly, and Thorer with his people went immediately on board their
ship. When Gunstein and his men saw Karle fall they ran instantly to
him, took his body and carried it on board their ship, struck their
tents, and cast off from the pier, and left the land. When Thorer and
his men saw this, they took down their tents and made preparations to
follow. But as they were hoisting the sail the fastenings to the mast
broke in two, and the sail fell down across the ship, which caused a
great delay before they could hoist the sail again. Gunstein had already
got a long way ahead before Thorer's ship fetched way, and now they
used both sails and oars. Gunstein did the same. On both sides they
made great way day and night; but so that they did not gain much on each
other, although when they came to the small sounds among the islands
Gunstein's vessel was lighter in turning. But Thorer's ship made way
upon them, so that when they came up to Lengjuvik, Gunstein turned
towards the land, and with all his men ran up into the country, and left
his ship. A little after Thorer came there with his ship, sprang upon
the land after them, and pursued them. There was a woman who helped
Gunstein to conceal himself, and it is told that she was much acquainted
with witchcraft. Thorer and his men returned to the vessels, and took
all the goods out of Gunstein's vessel, and put on board stones in place
of the cargo, and then hauled the ship out into the fjord, cut a hole
in its bottom, and sank it to the bottom. Thereafter Thorer, with his
people, returned home to Bjarkey Isle. Gunstein and his people proceeded
in small boats at first, and lay concealed by day, until they had passed
Bjarkey, and had got beyond Thorer's district. Gunstein went home first
to Langey Isle for a short time, and then proceeded south without any
halt, until he came south to Throndhjem, and there found King Olaf, to
whom he told all that had happened on this Bjarmaland expedition. The
king was ill