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brought in a bowl filled with glowing coals, and had it set on the belly of Eyvind, and not long was it ere his belly burst asunder. Then spake Eyvind: 'Take away the bowl from off me for I would fain speak some words before I die,' and accordingly it was done. Then the King asked: 'Wilt thou now, Eyvind, believe on Christ?' 'No,' answered he. 'I am not such as can be baptized, I am a spirit quickened in the human body by the magic of the Lapps for before that had my father and mother never a child.' Then died Eyvind who was the most skilled of wizards. [Illustration] || In the spring which followed on these happenings did King Olaf cause his ships and men to be made ready for war, taking for his own ship the 'Crane,' and there was mustered a large and goodly host. All things being now ready shaped he a course from out the fjord, and bringing his fleet north past Byrda fared northward to Halogaland. Wheresoever he landed, summoned he a Thing, & at it offered the people baptism in the true Faith. Now against this had no man the boldness to speak, therefore came it to pass that whithersoever he fared were all that were of those lands baptized. King Olaf visited Tiotta and was the guest of Harek, who was baptized at that hour together with all the folk that were about him. When the King departed thence Harek bestowed on him great gifts and became his man, and from the King received the dignity of bailiff with the dues and rights appertaining unto a lord of the land. || Raud the Strong was the name of a peasant who abode at Godey in that fjord which is named Salpti (Salten). Raud was a man of much wealth and at his beck were many house-carles; a powerful man was he withal, for a large company of Lapps were ready to follow him to war whensoever he needed them. Raud was zealous as a maker of blood-offerings, and skilled also in witchcraft; even so was he furthermore a warm friend to that man about whom it has been writ before, to wit, Thorir Hart, & even like unto him was he also a mighty chief. Now when it came to the ears of these men that Olaf was abroad with an host northward even in Halogaland, they too their men mustered, launching out ships, and assembling an host. To Raud appertained a great dragon-ship with golden heads thereto, a ship of thirty benches, and broad was she of beam for her length, and had likewise Thorir Hart also a ship of good size. Southward sailed they their fleet pu
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