Part 16 (1/2)

”I can no rasps the rock and, stretching doard, grips her wrist; just as her hold loosens he grips it, and she swings loose, her weight hanging on his arm

Now he e is narrow and he dare not loose his hold of the rock above She swings over the great gulf and she is senseless as one dead He gathers all his th and lifts His feet slip a little, then catch, and once s The sweat bursts out upon his forehead and his blood druain he lifts and his muscles strain and crack, and she lies beside hie!

All is not yet done The brink of the cleft is the height of a man above him There he must lay her, for he may not leave her to find aid, lest she should wake and roll into the chas the rock, and, bending over Gudruda, twists his hands in her kirtle below the breast and above the knee Then once ht and draws her up to the level of his breast, and rests Again with all his force he lifts her above the crest of his helm and throws her forward, so that now she lies upon the brink of the great cliff He al the rock, he saves hiains her side, and lies there, panting like a wearied hound of chase

Of all trials of strength that ever were put upon his reatest; for she was no light wo to cling to

Presently Brighteyes rose and peered at Gudruda through the glooazed about hione

Then he took Gudruda in his arh the darkness, calling on Skallagrie forloom

Eric told his tale in feords

”The ways of worim; ”but of all the deeds that I have known done at their hands, this is the worst It had been well to hurl the itch fromoon by turns they bore Gudruda down the th, utterly fordone, they saw the fires of Middalhof

X

HOW ASMUND SPOKE WITH SWANHILD

Now as the days went, though Atli's shi+p was bound for sea, she did not sail, and it came about that the Earl sank ever deeper in the toils of Swanhild He called to mind many wise saws, but these availed him little: for when Love rises like the sun, wisdoth it ca back, Atli went to Asmund the Priest, and asked hie Ass went badly between Swanhild and Gudruda, and it seeood to hiht it honest to warn the Earl that Swanhild was apart froreat honour, earl, to hter and ently in this o hence a wife undowered But I must tell thee this: that her ways are dark and secret, and strange and fiery are herevil on the man eds her

Now, I love thee, Atli, were it only for our youth's sake, and thou art not altogether fit to e has met thee on thy way For, as thou wouldst say, youth draws to youth as the tide to the shore, and falls away from eld as the wave from the rock Think, then: is it well that thou shouldst take her, Atli?”

”I have thought rey beard; ”but shi+ps old and new drive before a gale”

”Ay, Atli, and the new shi+p rides, where the old one founders”

”A true rede, a heavy rede, Asmund; yet I am minded to sail this sea, and, if it sink ot hold of s ive such as woood word, I will risk it, Asmund: for the bold thrower sometimes wins the stake Only I say this, that, if Swanhild is unwilling, let there be an end of , for I do not wish to take a bride who turns frorey hairs”

Asmund said that it should be so, and they ht faded

Now As Swanhild, and presently he met her near the stead He could not see her face, and that ell, for it was not good to look on, but her mien ondrous wild

”Where hast thou been, Swanhild?” he asked

”Mourning Eric Brighteyes,” she made answer