s heel, and at length humbled
his pride so far as to ask pardon for his fault.

"I grant it for thy deeds' sake," said Eric shortly; "but this is upon
my mind: that thou wilt err thus again, and it shall be my cause of
death--ay, and that of many more."

"First may my bones be white," said Skallagrim.

"They shall be white thereafter," answered Eric.

At Fareys Eric shipped twelve good men and true, to take the seats of
those who had been slain by Ospakar's folk. Afterwards, when the wounded
were well of their hurts (except one man who died), and the Gudruda was
made fit to take the sea again, Brighteyes bade farewell to the Earl of
those Isles, who gave him a good cloak and a gold ring at parting, and
sailed away.

Now it were too long to tell of all the deeds that Eric and his men
did. Never, so scalds sing, was there a viking like him for strength
and skill and hardihood, and, in those days, no such war-dragon as the
Gudruda had been known upon the sea. Wherever Eric joined battle, and
that was in many places, he conquered, for none prevailed against him,
till at last foes would fly before the terror of his name, and earls and
kings would send from far craving the aid of his hands. Withal he was
the best and gentlest of men. It is said of Eric that in all his days he
did no base deed, nor hurt the weak, nor refused peace to him who prayed
it, nor lifted sword against prisoner or wounded foe. From traders
he would take a toll of their merchandise only and let them go, and
whatever gains he won he would share equally, asking no larger part than
the meanest of his band. All men loved Eric, and even his foes gave him
honour and spoke well of him. Now that Hall of Lithdale was gone, there
was no man among his mates who would not have passed to death for him,
for they held him dearer than their lives. Women, too, loved him much;
but his heart was set upon Gudruda, and he seldom turned to look on
them.

The first summer of his outlawry Eric warred along the coast of Ireland,
but in the winter he came to Dublin, and for a while served in the
body-guard of the king of that town, who held him in honour, and would
have had him stay there. But Eric would not bide there, and next spring,
the Gudruda being ready for sea, he sailed for the shores of England.
There he gave battle to two vikings' ships of war, and took them after
a hard fight. It was in this fight that Skallagrim Lambstail was wounded
almost to death. For