or liked by the bondes. It happened in a
hamlet which Bjorn ruled over, that many swine and cattle were missing:
therefore Bjorn ordered a Thing to be called to examine the matter. Such
pillage he attributed chiefly to the people settled in forest-farms far
from other men; by which he referred particularly to those who dwelt in
Osterdal, for that district was very thinly inhabited, and full of lakes
and forest-cleanings, and but in few places was any great neighbourhood
together.

174. OF RAUD'S SONS.

There was a man called Raud who dwelt in Osterdal. His wife was called
Ragnhild; and his sons, Dag and Sigurd, were men of great talent. They
were present at the Thing, made a reply in defence of the Osterdal
people, and removed the accusation from them. Bjorn thought they were
too pert in their answer, and too fine in their clothes and weapons; and
therefore turned his speech against these brothers, and said it was not
unlikely they may have committed these thefts. They denied it, and
the Thing closed. Soon after King Olaf, with his retinue, came to
guest-quarters in the house of bailiff Bjorn. The matter which had been
before the Thing was then complained of to the king; and Bjorn said that
Raud's sons appeared to him to have committed these thefts. A messenger
was sent for Raud's sons; and when they appeared before the king he
said they had not at all the appearance of thieves, and acquitted them.
Thereupon they invited the king, with all his retinue, to a three days'
entertainment at their father's; and although Bjorn dissuaded him from
it, the king went. At Raud's there was a very excellent feast. The king
asked Raud what people he and his wife were. Raud answered that he was
originally a Swedish man, rich and of high birth; "but I ran away
with the wife I have ever since had, and she is a sister of King Hring
Dagson." The king then remembered both their families. He found that
father and sons were men of understanding, and asked them what they
could do. Sigurd said he could interpret dreams, and determine the time
of the day although no heavenly bodies could be seen. The king made
trial of his art, and found it was as Sigurd had said. Dag stated, as
his accomplishment, that he could see the misdeeds and vices of every
man who came under his eye, when he chose to observe him closely. The
king told him to declare what faults of disposition he saw in the king
himself. Dag mentioned a fault which the king was sen