ubt and cold. "Is he dead, then?"

"Nay," they answered, "but like to die, for he is beside himself and
raves wildly."

"Push on," quoth Gudruda; "push on, lest it be too late."

So they climbed the mountain on foot, won the pass and came to that
giddy point of rock where he must tread who would reach the platform
that is before the cave. Now since she had hung by her hands over
Goldfoss gulf, Gudruda had feared to tread upon a height with nothing to
hold to. Skallagrim went first, then called to her to follow. Thrice she
looked, and turned away, trembling, for the place was awful and the fall
bottomless. Then she spoke aloud to herself:

"Eric did not fear to risk his life to save me when I hung over Golden
Falls; less, then, should I fear to risk mine to save him," and she
stepped boldly down upon the point. But when she stood there, over the
giddy height, shivers ran along her body, and her mind grew dark. She
clutched at the rock, gave one low cry and began to fall. Indeed she
would have fallen and been lost, had not Skallagrim, lying on his breast
in the narrow hole, stretched out his arms, caught her by the cloak and
kirtle and dragged her to him. Presently her senses came back.

"I am safe!" she gasped, "but by a very little. Methinks that here
in this place I must live and die, for I can never tread yonder rock
again."

"Thou shalt pass it safe enough, lady, with a rope round thee," said
Skallagrim, and led the way to the cave.

Gudruda entered, forgetting all things in her love of Eric. A great fire
of turf burned in the mouth of the cave to temper the bitter wind and
frost, and by its light Gudruda saw her love through the smoke-reek. He
lay upon a bed of skins at the far end of the cave and his bright grey
eyes were wild, his wan face was white, and now of a sudden it grew red
with fever, and then was white again. He had thrown the sheepskins from
his mighty chest, the bones of which stood out grimly. His long arms
were thrust through the locks of his golden hair, and on one side of his
neck the hair clung to him and it was but a black mass.

He raved loudly in his madness. "Touch me not, carles, touch me not;
ye think me spent and weak, but, by Thor! if ye touch my hair, I will
loosen the knees of some. Gudruda alone shall shear my hair: I have
sworn and I will keep the oath that I once broke. Give me snow! snow! my
throat burns! Heap snow on my head, I bid you. Ye will not? Ye mock me,
thinking me