ttle use to men, and that it
will be far from you ever to get any work by man done with this
timber." After that they ceased talking, and the king turned away, and
it was marked by people that it misliked him how Thorkell accounted as
of nought what he said. Yet the king himself did not let people get
the wind of it, and he and Thorkell parted in great good-will.
Thorkell got on board his ship and put to sea. They had a good wind,
and were not long out about the main. Thorkell brought his ship to
Ramfirth, and rode soon from his ship home to Holyfell, where all folk
were glad to see him. [Sidenote: Thorkell's return] In this journey
Thorkell had gained much honour. He had his ship hauled ashore and
made snug, and the timber for the church he gave to a caretaker, where
it was safely bestowed, for it could not be brought from the north
this autumn, as he was at all time full of business. Thorkell now sits
at home at his manor throughout the winter. He had Yule-drinking at
Holyfell, and to it there came a crowd of people; and altogether he
kept up a great state that winter. Nor did Gudrun stop him therein;
for she said the use of money was that people should increase their
state therewith; moreover, whatever Gudrun must needs be supplied with
for all purposes of high-minded display, that (she said) would be
readily forthcoming (from her husband). Thorkell shared that winter
amongst his friends many precious things he had brought with him out
to Iceland.

CHAP. LXXV

Thorkell and Thorstein and Halldor Olafson, A.D. 1026

That winter after Yule Thorkell got ready to go from home north to
Ramfirth to bring his timber from the north. He rode first up into the
Dales and then to Lea-shaws to Thorstein, his kinsman, where he
gathered together men and horses. He afterwards went north to Ramfirth
and stayed there awhile, taken up with the business of his journey,
and gathered to him horses from about the firth, for he did not want
to make more than one journey of it, if that could be managed. But
this did not speed swiftly, and Thorkell was busy at this work even
into Lent. At last he got under way with the work, and had the wood
dragged from the north by more than twenty horses, and had the timber
stacked on Lea-Eyr, meaning later on to bring it in a boat out to
Holyfell. [Sidenote: The bargain with Halldor] Thorstein owned a large
ferry-boat, and this boat Thorkell was minded to use for his homeward
voyage. Thorkell s