tously
to regain what he had craftily yielded up. The Swedes were content
with their booty, and Rolf quickly retired to his ships, and managed to
escape by rowing violently.

Now they relate that Rolf used with ready generosity to grant at the
first entreaty whatsoever he was begged to bestow, and never put off the
request till the second time of asking. For he preferred to forestall
repeated supplication by speedy liberality, rather than mar his kindness
by delay. This habit brought him a great concourse of champions; valour
having commonly either rewards for its food or glory for its spur.

At this time, a certain Agnar, son of Ingild, being about to wed Rute,
the sister of Rolf, celebrated his bridal with a great banquet. The
champions were rioting at this banquet with every sort of wantonness,
and flinging from all over the room knobbed bones at a certain Hjalte;
but it chanced that his messmate, named Bjarke, received a violent blow
on the head through the ill aim of the thrower; at whom, stung both by
the pain and the jeering, he sent the bone back, so that he twisted the
front of his head to the back, and wrung the back of it to where the
front had been; punishing the wryness of the man's temper by turning his
face sidelong. This deed moderated their wanton and injurious jests, and
drove the champions to quit the place. The bridegroom, nettled at this
affront to the banquet, resolved to fight Bjarke, in order to seek
vengeance by means of a duel for the interruption of their mirth. At the
outset of the duel there was a long dispute, which of them ought to have
the chance of striking first. For of old, in the ordering of combats,
men did not try to exchange their blows thick and fast; but there was
a pause, and at the same time a definite succession in striking: the
contest being carried on with few strokes, but those terrible, so that
honour was paid more to the mightiness than to the number of the blows.
Agnar, being of higher rank, was put first; and the blow which he dealt
is said to have been so furious, that he cut through the front of the
helmet, wounded the skin on the scalp, and had to let go his sword,
which became locked in the vizor-holes. Then Bjarke, who was to deal
the return-stroke, leaned his foot against a stock, in order to give the
freer poise to his steel, and passed his fine-edged blade through the
midst of Agnar's body. Some declare that Agnar, in supreme suppression
of his pain, gave up th