asked Ole, who was keeping
his face muffled in a hat, to fling off his covering, and let them see
something by which to learn his features. Then, bidding them all lay
aside their grief, and keep their heart far from sorrow, he uncovered
his brow; and he drew the eyes of all upon him in marvel at his great
beauty. For his locks were golden and the hair of his head was radiant;
but he kept the lids close over his pupils, that they might not terrify
the beholders.

All were heartened with the hope of better things; the guests seemed to
dance and the courtiers to leap for joy; the deepest melancholy seemed
to be scattered by an outburst of cheerfulness. Thus hope relieved their
fears; the banquet wore a new face, and nothing was the same, or
like what it had been before. So the kindly promise of a single guest
dispelled the universal terror. Meanwhile Hiale and Skate came up
with ten servants, meaning to carry off the maiden then and there, and
disturbed all the place with their noisy shouts. They called on the king
to give battle, unless he produced his daughter instantly. Ole at once
met their frenzy with the promise to fight, adding the condition that
no one should stealthily attack an opponent in the rear, but should only
combat in the battle face to face. Then, with his sword called Logthi,
he felled them all, single-handed--an achievement beyond his years. The
ground for the battle was found on an isle in the middle of a swamp,
not far from which is a stead that serves to memorise this slaughter,
bearing the names of the brothers Hiale and Skate together.

So the girl was given him as prize of the combat, and bore him a son
Omund. Then he gained his father-in-law's leave to revisit his father.
But when he heard that his country was being attacked by Thore, with
the help of Toste Sacrificer, and Leotar, surnamed.... he went to fight
them, content with a single servant, who was dressed as a woman. When
he was near the house of Thore, he concealed his own and his attendant's
swords in hollowed staves. And when he entered the palace, he disguised
his true countenance, and feigned to be a man broken with age. He said
that with Siward he had been king of the beggars, but that he was now in
exile, having been stubbornly driven forth by the hatred of the king's
son Ole. Presently many of the courtiers greeted him with the name of
king, and began to kneel and offer him their hands in mockery. He told
them to bear out in deed