Eric was very sore at heart and could make nothing of this
matter--for he was not overthrown by strength.

He sat on the snow and Ospakar and his sons mocked him. But Gudruda drew
near and whispered to him to be of good cheer, for fortune might yet
change.

"I think that I am bewitched," said Eric sadly: "my feet have no hold of
the ground."

Gudruda covered her eyes with her hand and thought. Presently she looked
up quickly. "I seem to see guile here," she said. "Now look narrowly on
thy shoes."

He heard, and, loosening his shoe-string, drew a shoe from his foot and
looked at the sole. The cold of the snow had hardened the fat, and there
it was, all white upon the leather.

Now Eric rose in wrath. "Methought," he cried, "that I dealt with men
of honourable mind, not with cheating tricksters. See now! it is little
wonder that I slipped, for grease has been set upon my shoes--and, by
Thor! I will cleave the man who did it to the chin," and as he said it
his eyes blazed so dreadfully that folk fell back from him. Asmund took
the shoes and looked at them. Then he spoke:

"Brighteyes tells the truth, and we have a sorry knave among us.
Ospakar, canst thou clear thyself of this ill deed?"

"I will swear on the holy ring that I know nothing of it, and if any man
in my company has had a hand therein he shall die," said Ospakar.

"That we will swear also," cried his sons Gizur and Mord.

"This is more like a woman's work," said Gudruda, and she looked at
Swanhild.

"It is no work of mine," quoth Swanhild.

"Then go and ask thy mother of it," answered Gudruda.

Now all men cried aloud that this was the greatest shame, and that the
match must be set afresh; only Ospakar bethought him of that two hundred
in silver which he had promised to Groa, and looked around, but she was
not there. Still, he gainsaid Eric in the matter of the match being set
afresh.

Then Eric cried out in his anger that he would let the game stand as it
was, since Ospakar swore himself free of the shameful deed. Men thought
this a mad saying, but Asmund said it should be so. Still, he swore
in his heart that, even if he were worsted, Eric should not lose his
eye--no not if swords were held aloft to take it. For of all tricks this
seemed to him the very worst.

Now Ospakar and Eric faced each other again in the ring, but this time
the feet of Eric were bare.

Ospakar rushed to get the upper hold, but Eric was too swift for him and
sprang