made the Earl right welcome, and he
craved of her hiding were it but for a few nights even until dispersed
should be the peasants. 'Here is it that thou wilt be sought by them,'
said she, 'and search will they make both within and without, throughout
the whole of this my homestead, for many there are that wot over well
how that I would fain help thee all that I might.

Howbeit one place is there wherein would I never seek for such a man as
thou, and that is in the swine-sty.' So thither hied they and said the
Earl: 'Here then will we hide us, for it behoves us that first of all
must we give heed to our own lives.' Thereupon dug the thrall a large
ditch in the sty & carried away the earth, and afterwards placed wood
across it.

And Thora brought unto the Earl tidings that Olaf Tryggvason was come up
the fjord, and that he had slain the Earl's son Erling.

Right so went the Earl into the trench, & Kark with him, and Thora
dragged wood athwart it, and swept earth and muck over it, and drave the
swine thereon. Now the swine-sty was under a certain big rock.

[Illustration]

|| With five long-ships shaped Olaf Tryggvason his course into the fjord,
& Erling, the son of Earl Hakon with his three ships rowed him out to
meet him. Or ever the ships drew nigh one to another Erling and his men
knew that this was war, and then in lieu of coming to a meeting with
Olaf did they make head for the land. Now Olaf when he had seen the
long-ships rowing down the fjord towards him thought to himself that
this would be Earl Hakon, and thereon gave the word of command to row
ahead as hard as might be.

The men of Erling even so soon as they were come nigh unto the shore
leapt they in haste overboard & made for land. Thither after them were
come the ships of Olaf and he himself saw swimming a man exceeding fair
to look upon, and thereon seized he the tiller and threw it even unto
this man, and the tiller smote the head of Erling, he that was son of
the Earl, so that his skull was cloven, yea even to the brain.

Thus came it to pass that Erling lost his life.

There slew the men of Olaf many, but even so did a few make good their
escape; others again made they prisoners, & giving them quarter gat
tidings from them.

Thus learnt Olaf that the peasants had driven away Earl Hakon, that he
was fleeing before them, and that all the folk that were his were
scattered.

Thereafter did the peasants come unto Olaf, and as all liked one an