Part 37 (1/2)

Now it is told that when his thralls and house-carles bore the corpse of Atli the Earl to his hall in Straumey, Swanhildthem stood forward and told her those words that Atli had bidden the none, she spoke thus:

”My lord was distraught and ith loss of blood when he spoke thus

The tale I told hi the blood of hied so sorely”

And thereafter she spoke so sweetly and with so h they still doubted thehty For Swanhild had this art, that she could make the false sound true in the ears ofmindful of their oath, they hunted for Koll and found him And when the thrall knew that they would slay hi Nor did Swanhild lift a hand to save his life, for she desired that Koll should die, lest he should bear witness against her

Away he ran towards the cliffs, and after hireat cliffs that edge in the sea Now they were close upon him and their swords were aloft Then, sooner than know the kiss of steel, the liar leapt fro miserably on the rocks below This was the end of Koll the Half-witted, Groa's thrall

Swanhild sat in Strau, for he had no male kin; nor did any say her nay Also she called in the reat sum, for Atli was a careful and a wealthy reat dragon of war, and she s needful This done, she set stewards and grieves over the Orkney lands and farms, and, when the Earl was six weeks dead, she sailed for Iceland, giving out that she went thither to set a blood-suit on foot against Eric for the death of Atli, her lord There she ca

Now Hall of Lithdale cas of Eric and the death of Atli Oft and loud he told it, and soon people gossiped of it in field and fair and stead Bjorn, Asmund's son, heard this talk and sent for Hall To hio to my sister Gudruda the Fair, and learn how she takes these tidings”

So they went in to where Gudruda sat spinning in the hall, singing as she span

”Greeting, Gudruda,” said Bjorn; ”say, hast thou tidings of Eric Brighteyes, thy betrothed?”

”I have no tidings,” said Gudruda

”Then here is one who brings them”

Now for the first ti ”Thou hast tidings of Eric, Hall? Ah! thou art welcos have come of hiainst her heart and leaned towards his are ill, lady”

”Is Eric dead? Say not that my love is dead!”

”He is worse than dead,” said Hall ”He is shamed”

”There thou liest, Hall,” she answered ”Shas apart”

”Mayst thou think so when thou hast heard my tale, lady,” said Hall, ”for I am sad at heart to speak it of one as my mate”

”Speak on, I say,” answered Gudruda, in such a voice that Hall shrank from her ”Speak on; but of this I warn thee: that if in one word thou liest, that shall be thy death when Eric co of the axe of Skallagrian at the beginning, telling the story of hoounded in the fight with Ospakar's shi+ps and left Farey isles, and how he came thence to Scotland and sat in Atli's hall on Orkneys Then he told how the Gudruda recked on Straurim alone were saved because of Swanhild's dream

”Herein I see witch-work,” said Gudruda

Then Hall told that Eric became Swanhild's love, but of the other tale which Swanhild had whispered to Atli he said nothing For he knew that Gudruda would not believe this, and, moreover, if it were so, Swanhild had not sent the token which he should give

”It ht of hteyes into this snare” But, though she spoke thus, bitter jealousy and anger burned in her breast and she reht which she had seen when Eric and Swanhild

Then Hall told of the slaying of Atli the Good by Eric, but he said nothing of the Earl's dying words, nor of how he goaded Brighteyes with his bitter words