ran to their horses, but could not find them. The king then
ordered the Bonders to be called together, saying he wanted to speak
with them; on which the Bonders came back, and the Thing was again
seated.

"The king rose up and said, 'I do not understand what your noise and
running mean. You yourselves see what your God can do,--the idol you
adorned with gold and silver, and brought meat and provisions to. You
see now that the protecting powers, who used and got good of all that,
were the mice and adders, the reptiles and lizards; and surely they do
ill who trust to such, and will not abandon this folly. Take now your
gold and ornaments that are lying strewed on the grass, and give them to
your wives and daughters, but never hang them hereafter upon stocks and
stones. Here are two conditions between us to choose upon: either accept
Christianity, or fight this very day, and the victory be to them to whom
the God we worship gives it.'

"Then Dale Gudbrand stood up and said, 'We have sustained great damage
upon our God; but since he will not help us, we will believe in the God
whom thou believest in.'

"Then all received Christianity. The Bishop baptized Gudbrand and his
son. King Olaf and Bishop Sigurd left behind them teachers; and they who
met as enemies parted as friends. And afterwards Gudbrand built a church
in the valley." [13]

Olaf was by no means an unmerciful man,--much the reverse where he saw
good cause. There was a wicked old King Raerik, for example, one
of those five kinglets whom, with their bits of armaments, Olaf by
stratagem had surrounded one night, and at once bagged and subjected
when morning rose, all of them consenting; all of them except this
Raerik, whom Olaf, as the readiest sure course, took home with him;
blinded, and kept in his own house; finding there was no alternative but
that or death to the obstinate old dog, who was a kind of distant cousin
withal, and could not conscientiously be killed. Stone-blind old Raerik
was not always in murderous humor. Indeed, for most part he wore a
placid, conciliatory aspect, and said shrewd amusing things; but
had thrice over tried, with amazing cunning of contrivance, though
stone-blind, to thrust a dagger into Olaf and the last time had all but
succeeded. So that, as Olaf still refused to have him killed, it had
become a problem what was to be done with him. Olaf's good humor, as
well as _his_ quiet, ready sense and practicality, are manifested in hi