his ship, and his fellows with him. The weather was then good, and
they sailed off at once south to Caithness, and went on shore at
Thraswick to the house of a worthy man whose name was Skeggi, and with
him they stayed a very long while.

Those behind in the Orkneys cleansed the board, and bore out the dead
man.

The Earl was told that they had set sail south for Scotland, and King
Sigtrygg said--

"This was a mighty bold fellow, who dealt his stroke so stoutly, and
never thought twice about it!"

Then Earl Sigurd answered--

"There is no man like Kari for dash and daring."

Now Flosi undertook to tell the story of the Burning, and he was fair to
all; and therefore what he said was believed.

Then King Sigtrygg stirred in his business with Earl Sigurd, and bade
him go to the war with him against King Brian.

The Earl was long steadfast, but the end of it was that he let the king
have his way, but said he must have his mother's hand for his help, and
be king in Ireland, if they slew Brian. But all his men besought Earl
Sigurd not to go into the war, but it was all no good.

So they parted on the understanding that Earl Sigurd gave his word to
go; but King Sigtrygg promised him his mother and the kingdom.

It was so settled that Earl Sigurd was to come with all his host to
Dublin by Palm Sunday.

Then King Sigtrygg fared south to Ireland, and told his mother Kormlada
that the Earl had undertaken to come, and also what he had pledged
himself to grant him.

She showed herself well pleased at that, but said they must gather
greater force still.

Sigtrygg asked whence this was to be looked for?

She said there were two vikings lying off the west of Man; and that they
had thirty ships, and, she went on, "they are men of such hardihood that
nothing can withstand them. The one's name is Ospak, and the other's
Brodir. Thou shalt fare to find them, and spare nothing to get them into
thy quarrel, whatever price they ask."

Now King Sigtrygg fares and seeks the vikings, and found them lying
outside off Man; King Sigtrygg brings forward his errand at once, but
Brodir shrank from helping him until he, King Sigtrygg, promised him the
kingdom and his mother, and they were to keep this such a secret that
Earl Sigurd should know nothing about it; Brodir too was to come to
Dublin on Palm Sunday.

So King Sigtrygg fared home to his mother, and told her how things
stood.

After that those brothers, Ospak and Brodir, ta