and looked up at him.
Then said the King: 'What wouldst thou say, boy, that thou lookest at me
so?'

Vogg answered: 'When I was at home, I heard tell that King Rolf at
Hleidr was the tallest man in Northland; but now here sits in the high
seat a thin stake, and they call him their king.'

Then answered the King: 'Thou, boy, hast given me a name to be known
by--Rolf Stake to wit. 'Tis custom to follow a naming with a gift. But
now I see that thou hast not with the naming any gift to give me such as
would beseem me to accept, wherefore he of us who hath must give to the
other.' With that the King drew a gold ring from his own hand and gave
it to him.

Then said Vogg: 'Blessed above all kings be thou who givest! And by this
vow I bind me to be that man's bane who shall be thine.'

Then said the King with a laugh: 'With small gain is Vogg fain.'

Further, this proof is told of Rolf Stake's daring.

There ruled over Upsala a king named Adils, who had to wife Yrsa, Rolf
Stake's mother. He was at war with Ali, the king who then ruled Norway.
They appointed to meet in battle upon the ice of the lake called Venir.
King Adils sent a message to Rolf Stake, his stepson, that he should
come to help him, and promised pay to all his force so long as they
should be on the campaign, but the King himself was to receive for his
own three costly things from Sweden, whatsoever he should choose. King
Rolf could not go himself by reason of a war that he had against the
Saxons; but he sent to Adils his twelve Berserks, of whom were Bodvar
Bjarki, Hjalti Stoutheart, Whiteserk Bold, Vott, Vidseti, and the
brothers Svipdag and Beigud.

In the battle then fought fell King Ali and a great part of his host.
And King Adils took from the dead prince the helmet Battleboar and his
horse Raven. Then the Berserks of Rolf Stake asked for their wage, three
pounds of gold apiece; and further they asked to carry to Rolf Stake
those costly things which they in his behalf should choose. These were
the helmet Battleboar, and the corslet Finnsleif, which no weapon could
pierce, and the gold ring called Sviagriss, an heirloom from Adils'
forefathers. But the King denied them all the costly things, nor did he
even pay their wage.

[Illustration: 'But now here sits in the high seat a thin stake']

The Berserks went away ill-content with their lot, and told Rolf Stake
what had been done.

At once he started for Upsala, and when he came with his ships int