orrow is the first day of Yule," says she, "wherefore must men first
fast to-day."

He answers, "Many follies have ye, whereof I see no good come, nor
know I that men fare better now than when they paid no heed to such
things; and methinks the ways of men were better when they were called
heathens; and now will I have my meat, and none of this fooling."

Then said the housewife, "I know for sure that thou shall fare ill
to-day, if thou takest up this evil turn."

Glam bade her bring food straightway, and said that she should fare
the worse else. She durst do but as he would, and so when he was full,
he went out, growling and grumbling.

Now the weather was such, that mirk was over all, and the snow-flakes
drave down, and great din there was, and still all grew much the
worse, as the day slipped away.

Men heard the shepherd through the early morning, but less of him
as the day wore; then it took to snowing, and by evening there was
a great storm; then men went to church, and thus time drew on to
nightfall; and Glam came not home; then folk held talk, as to whether
search should not be made for him, but, because of the snow-storm and
pitch darkness, that came to nought.

Now he came not home on the night of Yule-eve; and thus men abide till
after the time of worship; but further on in the day men fared out to
the search, and found the sheep scattered wide about in fens, beaten
down by the storm, or strayed up into the mountains. Thereafter they
came on a great beaten place high up in the valley, and they thought
it was as if strong wrestling had gone on there; for that all about
the stones had been uptorn and the earth withal; now they looked
closely and saw where Glam lay a little way therefrom; he was dead,
and as blue as hell, and as great as a neat.

Huge loathing took them, at the sight of him, and they shuddered in
their souls at him, yet they strove to bring him to church, but could
get him only as far as a certain gil-edge a little way below.

Then they fared home to the farm, and told the bonder what had happed.
He asked what was like to have been Glam's bane. They said they had
tracked steps as great as if a cask-bottom had been stamped down, from
there where the beaten place was, up to beneath sheer rocks which were
high up the valley, and there along went great stains of blood. Now
men drew from this, that the evil wight which had been there before
had killed Glam, but had got such wounds as had been