his sword at the bench,
but strikes a cross-beam as he brandished the weapon aloft. Thangbrand
smote the arm of the Baresark with his crucifix, and so mighty a token
followed that the sword fell from the Baresark's hand.

Then Thangbrand thrusts a sword into his breast, and Gudleif smote him
on the arm and hewed it off. Then many went up and slew the Baresark.

After that Thangbrand asked if they would take the faith now?

Gest said he had only spoken what he meant to keep to.

Then Thangbrand baptised Gest and all his house and many others. Then
Thangbrand took counsel with Gest whether he should go any further west
among the firths, but Gest set his face against that, and said they were
a hard race of men there, and ill to deal with, "but if it be foredoomed
that this faith shall make its way, then it will be taken as law at the
Althing, and then all the chiefs out of the districts will be there".

"I did all that I could at the Thing," says Thangbrand, "and it was very
uphill work."

"Still thou hast done most of the work," says Gest, "though it may be
fated that others shall make Christianity law; but it is here as the
saying runs, 'No tree falls at the first stroke'."

After that Gest gave Thangbrand good gifts, and he fared back south.
Thangbrand fared to the Southlander's Quarter, and so to the Eastfirths.
He turned in as a guest at Bergthorsknoll, and Njal gave him good gifts.
Thence he rode east to Alftafirth to meet Hall of the Side. He caused
his ship to be mended, and heathen man called it "Iron-basket". On board
that ship Thangbrand fared abroad, and Gudleif with him.

CHAPTER C.

OF GIZUR THE WHITE AND HJALLTI.

That same summer Hjallti Skeggi's son was outlawed at the Thing for
blasphemy against the Gods.

Thangbrand told King Olaf of all the mischief that the Icelanders had
done to him, and said that they were such sorcerers there that the earth
burst asunder under his horse and swallowed up the horse.

Then King Olaf was so wroth that he made them seize all the men from
Iceland and set them in dungeons, and meant to slay them.

Then they, Gizur the white and Hjallti, came up and offered to lay
themselves in pledge for those men, and fare out to Iceland and preach
the faith. The king took this well, and they got them all set free
again.

Then Gizur and Hjallti busked their ship for Iceland, and were soon
"boun". They made the land at Eyrar when ten weeks of summer had passed;
the