known their errand, and he took it kindly, although
he feared that the fight with Asmund was likely to bring trouble.
Nevertheless this match was made, and then they went their ways home.
A feast was got ready for the wedding and to that feast a very great
company came together.

Helga the daughter of Earl Frodi had a nurse that was a wise woman, and
she went with her. Now Asmund the viking heard of this marriage, and set
out to meet Ogmund. He bade him fight, and Ogmund agreed.

Helga's nurse used to touch men when they went to fight: so she did with
Ogmund before he set out from home, and told him that he would not be
hurt much.

Then they both went to the fighting holm and fought. The viking laid
bare his side, but the sword would not bite upon it. Then Ogmund whirled
about his sword swiftly and shifted it from hand to hand, and hewed
Asmund's leg from under him: and three marks of gold he took to let him
go with his life.

CHAPTER TWO. How Cormac Was Born and Bred.

About this time King Harald Fairhair died, and Eric Bloodaxe reigned in
his stead. Ogmund would have no friendship with Eric, nor with Gunnhild,
and made ready his ship for Iceland.

Nor Ogmund and Helga had a son called Frodi: but when the ship was
nearly ready, Helga took a sickness and died; and so did their son
Frodi.

After that, they sailed to sea. When they were near the land, Ogmund
cast overboard his high-seat-pillars; and where the high-seat-pillars
had already been washed ashore, there they cast anchor, and landed in
Midfiord.

At this time Skeggi of Midfiord ruled the countryside. He came riding
toward them and bade them welcome into the firth, and gave them the
pick of the land: which Ogmund took, and began to mark out ground for
a house. Now it was a belief of theirs that as the measuring went, so
would the luck go: if the measuring-wand seemed to grow less when they
tried it again and again, so would that house's luck grow less: and if
it grew greater, so would the luck be. This time the measure always grew
less, though they tried it three times over.

So Ogmund built him a house on the sandhills, and lived there ever
after. He married Dalla, the daughter of Onund the Seer, and their sons
were Thorgils and Cormac. Cormac was dark-haired, with a curly lock upon
his forehead: he was bright of blee and somewhat like his mother, big
and strong, and his mood was rash and hasty. Thorgils was quiet and easy
to deal with.

When