ed was the stateliest in Salmon-river-Dale. [Sidenote: The new
house built] There were two brothers with Olaf, both named An. One was
called An the White and the other An the Black. They had a third
brother who was named Beiner the Strong. These were Olaf's smiths, and
very valiant men. Thorgerd and Olaf had a daughter who was named
Thurid. The land that Hrapp had owned all lay waste, as has been told
before. Olaf thought that it lay well and set before his father his
wishes on the matter; how they should send down to Trefill with this
errand, that Olaf wished to buy the land and other things thereto
belonging at Hrappstead. It was soon arranged and the bargain settled,
for Trefill saw that better was one crow in the hand than two in the
wood. The bargain arranged was that Olaf should give three marks of
silver for the land; yet that was not fair price, for the lands were
wide and fair and very rich in useful produce, such as good salmon
fishing and seal catching. There were wide woods too, a little further
up than Hoskuldstead, north of the Salmon-river, in which was a space
cleared, and it was well-nigh a matter of certainty that the flocks of
Olaf would gather together there whether the weather was hard or mild.
One autumn it befell that on that same hill Olaf had built a dwelling
of the timber that was cut out of the forest, though some he got
together from drift-wood strands. This was a very lofty dwelling. The
buildings stood empty through the winter. The next spring Olaf went
thither and first gathered together all his flocks which had grown to
be a great multitude; for, indeed, no man was richer in live stock in
all Broadfirth. Olaf now sent word to his father that he should be
standing out of doors and have a look at his train as he was moving to
his new home, and should give him his good wishes. Hoskuld said so it
should be. Olaf now arranged how it should be done. He ordered that
all the shiest of his cattle should be driven first and then the
milking live stock, then came the dry cattle, and the pack horses came
in the last place; and men were ranged with the animals to keep them
from straying out of straight line. When the van of the train had got
to the new homestead, Olaf was just riding out of Goddistead and there
was nowhere a gap breaking the line. Hoskuld stood outside his door
together with those of his household. [Sidenote: The naming of
Herdholt] Then Hoskuld spake, bidding Olaf his son welcome and a