, "and it is something to have overcome
thee. Now tell me what turned thee Baresark."

"A shameful deed that was done against me, lord. Ten years ago I was a
yeoman of small wealth in the north. I had but one good thing, and that
was the fairest housewife in those parts--Thorunna by name--and I loved
her much, but we had no children. Now, not far from my stead is a
place called Swinefell, and there dwells a mighty chief named Ospakar
Blacktooth; he is an evil man and strong----"

Eric started at the name and then bade Skallagrim take up the tale.

"It chanced that Ospakar saw my wife Thorunna and would take her, but
at first she did not listen. Then he promised her wealth and all good
things, and she was weary of our hard way of life and hearkened. Still,
she would not go away openly, for that had brought shame on her, but
plotted with Ospakar that he should come and take her as though by
force. So it came about, as I lay heavily asleep one night at Thorunna's
side, having drunk somewhat too deeply of the autumn ale, that armed men
seized me, bound me, and haled me from my bed. There were eight of them,
and with them was Ospakar. Then Blacktooth bid Thorunna rise, clothe
herself and come to be his May, and she made pretence to weep at this,
but fell to it readily enough. Now she bound her girdle round her and to
it a knife hung.

"'Kill thyself, sweet,' I cried: 'death is better than shame.'

"'Not so, husband,' she answered. 'It is true that I love but thee;
yet a woman may find another love, but not another life,' and I saw
her laugh through her mock tears. Now Ospakar rode in hot haste away
to Swinefell and with him went Thorunna, but his men stayed a while and
drank my ale, and, as they drank, they mocked me who was bound before
them, and little by little all the truth was told of the doings of
Ospakar and Thorunna my housewife, and I learned that it was she who had
planned this sport. Then my eyes grew dark and I drew near to death from
very shame and bitterness. But of a sudden something leaped up in my
heart, fire raged before my eyes and voices in my ears called on to war
and vengeance. I was Baresark--and like hay bands I burst my cords. My
axe hung on the wainscot. I snatched it thence, and of what befell I
know this alone, that, when the madness passed, eight men lay stretched
out before me, and all the place was but a gore of blood.

"'Then I drew the dead together and piled drinking tables over them, a