nued there the second night,
during which, for the whole night, the king was occupied in prayer. As
soon as he observed day dawning he ordered his men to drive again to the
urd, and try once more if they could get across it with the waggons; but
they went very unwillingly, saying nothing could be gained by it. When
they were gone the man who had charge of the king's kitchen came,
and said there were only two carcasses of young cattle remaining of
provision: "Although you, sire, have 400 men, and there are 100 bondes
besides." Then the king ordered that he should set all the kettles on
the fire, and put a little bit of meat in each kettle, which was done.
Then the king went there, and made the sign of the cross over each
kettle, and told them to make ready the meat. The king then went to the
urd called Skerfsurd, where a road should be cleared. When the king came
all his people were sitting down, quite worn out with the hard labour.
Bruse said, "I told you, sire, but you would not believe me, that we
could make nothing of this urd." The king laid aside his cloak, and told
them to go to work once more at the urd. They did so, and now twenty men
could handle stones which before 100 men could not move from the place;
and thus before midday the road was cleared so well that it was as
passable for men, and for horses with packs, as a road in the plain
fields. The king, after this, went down again to where the meat was,
which place is called Olaf's Rock. Near the rock is a spring, at which
Olaf washed himself; and therefore at the present day, when the cattle
in the valley are sick, their illness is made better by their drinking
at this well. Thereafter the king sat down to table with all the others;
and when he was satisfied he asked if there was any other sheeling on
the other side of the urd, and near the mountains, where they could pass
the night. Bruse said there was such a sheeling, called Groningar; but
that nobody could pass the night there on account of witchcraft, and
evil beings who were in the sheeling. Then the king said they must get
ready for their journey, as he wanted to be at the sheeling for the
night. Then came the kitchen-master to the king, and tells that there
was come an extraordinary supply of provisions, and he did not know
where it had come from, or how. The king thanked God for this blessing,
and gave the bondes who drove down again to their valley some rations of
food, but remained himself all night