attacked in Jutland by a Sclavish force; but he overcame seven kings
in a single combat, and ratified by conquest his accustomed right to
tribute.

Meantime, Starkad, who was now worn out with extreme age, and who seemed
to be past military service and the calling of a champion, was loth to
lose his ancient glory through the fault of eld, and thought it would be
a noble thing if he could make a voluntary end, and hasten his death by
his own free will. Having so often fought nobly, he thought it would be
mean to die a bloodless death; and, wishing to enhance the glory of his
past life by the lustre of his end, he preferred to be slain by some
man of gallant birth rather than await the tardy shaft of nature. So
shameful was it thought that men devoted to war should die by disease.
His body was weak, and his eyes could not see clearly, so that he hated
to linger any more in life. In order to buy himself an executioner, he
wore hanging on his neck the gold which he had earned for the murder of
Ole; thinking there was no fitter way of atoning for the treason he had
done than to make the price of Ole's death that of his own also, and to
spend on the loss of his own life what he had earned by the slaying of
another. This, he thought, would be the noblest use he could make of
that shameful price. So he girded him with two swords, and guided his
powerless steps leaning on two staves.

One of the common people, seeing him, thinking two swords superfluous
for the use of an old man, mockingly asked him to make him a present
of one of them. Starkad, holding out hopes of consent, bade him come
nearer, drew the sword from his side, and ran him through. This was
seen by a certain Hather, whose father Hlenne Starkad had once killed in
repentance for his own impious crime. Hatfier was hunting game with his
dogs, but now gave over the chase, and bade two of his companions
spur their horses hard and charge at the old man to frighten him. They
galloped forward, and tried to make off, but were stopped by the staves
of Starkad, and paid for it with their lives. Hather, terrified by the
sight, galloped up closer, and saw who the old man was, but without
being recognized by him in turn; and asked him if he would like to
exchange his sword for a carriage. Starkad replied that he used in old
days to chastise jeerers, and that the insolent had never insulted him
unpunished. But his sightless eyes could not recognize the features
of the youth; so