t, when they saw how strong the place was, they feared, and went back,
and after that returned no more, though they always watched the fell.

It was very dark and lonesome there upon the fell. For a while Eric kept
in good heart, but as the days went by he grew troubled. For since he
was wounded this had come upon him, that he feared the dark, and the
death of Atli at his hand and Atli's words weighed more and more upon
his mind. They had no candles on the fell, yet, rather than stay in the
blackness of the cave, Eric would wrap sheepskins about him and sit by
the edge of that gulf down which the head of the Baresark had foretold
his fall, and look out at the wide plains and fells and ice-mountains,
gleaming in the silver shine of the Northern lights or in the white
beams of the stars.

It chanced that Eric had bidden the men who stayed with him to build a
stone hut upon the flat space of rock before the cave, and to roof it
with turves. He had done this that work might keep them in heart, also
that they might have a place to store such goods as they had gathered.
Now there was one stone lying near that no two men of their number could
move, except Skallagrim and one other. One day, while it was light, Eric
watched these two rolling the stone along to where it must stand, and it
was slow work. Presently they stayed to rest. Then Eric came and putting
his hands beneath the stone, lifted, and while men wondered, he rolled
the mass alone, to where it should be set as the corner stone of the
hut.

"Ye are all children," he said, and laughed merrily.

"Ay, when we set our strength against thine, lord," answered Skallagrim;
"but look: the blood runs from thy neck--the spear-wound has broken out
afresh."

"So it is, surely," said Eric. Then he washed the wound and bound it up,
thinking little of the matter.

But that night, according to his custom, Eric sat on the edge of the
gulf and looked at the winter lights as they played over Hecla's snows.
He was sad and heavy at heart, for he thought of Gudruda and wondered
much if they should live to wed. Remembering Atli's words, he had little
faith in his good luck. Now as Eric sat and thought, the bandage on his
neck slipped, so that the hurt bled, and the frost got hold of the wound
and froze it, and froze his long hair to it also, in such fashion that
when he went to the cave where all men slept, he could not loose his
hair from the sore, but lay down with it frozen to him.