the day it would be swimming round about the
ship, with flappers none of the shortest, and to all of them it seemed
that in him there were human eyes. Thorstein bade them shoot the seal,
and they tried, but it came to nought. [Sidenote: Gudmund's story] Now
the tide rose; and just as the ship was getting afloat there broke
upon them a violent squall, and the boat heeled over, and every one on
board the boat was drowned, save one man, named Gudmund, who drifted
ashore with some timber. The place where he was washed up was
afterwards called Gudmund's Isles. Gudrid, whom Thorkell Trefill had
for wife, was entitled to the inheritance left by Thorstein, her
father. These tidings spread far and near of the drowning of Thorstein
Swart, and the men who were lost there. Thorkell sent straightway for
the man Gudmund, who had been washed ashore, and when he came and met
Thorkell, he (Thorkell) struck a bargain with him, to the end that he
should tell the story of the loss of lives even as he (Thorkell) was
going to dictate it to him. Gudmund agreed. Thorkell now asked him to
tell the story of this mishap in the hearing of a good many people.
Then Gudmund spake on this wise: "Thorstein was drowned first, and
then his son-in-law, Thorarin"--so that then it was the turn of Hild
to come in for the money, as she was the daughter of Thorarin. Then he
said the maiden was drowned, because the next in inheritance to her
was Osk, her mother, and she lost her life the last of them, so that
all the money thus came to Thorkell Trefill, in that his wife Gudrid
must take inheritance after her sister. Now this tale is spread abroad
by Thorkell and his men; but Gudmund ere this had told the tale in
somewhat another way. [Sidenote: The ordeal] Now the kinsmen of
Thorarin misdoubted this tale somewhat, and said they would not
believe it unproved, and claimed one-half of the heritage against
Thorkell; but Thorkell maintained it belonged to him alone, and bade
that ordeal should be taken on the matter, according to their custom.
This was the ordeal at that time, that men had had to pass under
"earth-chain," which was a slip of sward cut loose from the soil, but
both ends thereof were left adhering to the earth, and the man who
should go through with the ordeal should walk thereunder. Thorkell
Trefill now had some misgivings himself as to whether the deaths of
the people had indeed taken place as he and Gudmund had said the
second time. Heathen men deem