rn, from
Salmon-river-Dale; but I cannot think why he should be in the train of
these brothers." [Sidenote: Further description of the men] The lad
spake: "There sat a man on a pommelled saddle, and had on a blue cloak
for an overall, with a silver ring on his arm; he was a farmer-looking
sort of man and past the prime of life, with dark auburn long curly
hair, and scars about his face." "Now the tale grows worse by much,"
said Helgi, "for there you must have seen Thorstein the Black, my
brother-in-law; and a wondrous thing indeed I deem it, that he should
be in this journey, nor would I ever offer him such a home-raid. But
what more is there still to tell?" He answered, "Next there sat two
men like each other to look upon, and might have been of middle age;
most brisk they looked, red of hair, freckled of face, yet goodly to
behold." Helgi said, "I can clearly understand who those men are.
There are the sons of Armod, foster-brothers of Thorgils, Halldor and
Ornolf. And a very trustworthy fellow you are. But have you now told
the tale of all the men you saw?" He answered, "I have but little to
add now. Next there sat a man and looked out of the circle; he was in
a plate-corselet and had a steel cap on his head, with a brim a hand's
breadth wide; he bore a shining axe on his shoulder, the edge of which
must have measured an ell in length. This man was dark of hue,
black-eyed, and most viking like." Helgi answered, "I clearly know
this man from your tale. There has been Hunbogi the Strong, son of Alf
o' Dales. But what I find so hard to make out is, what they want
journeying with such a very picked company." The lad spoke again: "And
still there sat a man next to this strong-looking one, dark auburn of
hair, thick-faced and red-faced, heavy of brow, of a tall middle
size." Helgi said, "You need not tell the tale further, there must
have been Svein, son of Alf o' Dales, brother of Hunbogi. Now it would
be as well not to stand shiftless in the face of these men; for near
to my mind's foreboding it is, that they are minded to have a meeting
with me or ever they leave this countryside; moreover, in this train
there are men who would hold that it would have been but due and meet,
though this our meeting should have taken a good long time before
this. Now all the women who are in the dairy slip on quickly men's
dress and take the horses that are about the dairy and ride as quickly
as possible to the winter dwelling; it may be t