Part 46 (1/2)

So it cath he could not rise froht, staring at the little light which pierced the gloom Still, he would not suffer that anyone should touch his hair And when one stole upon hi so to cut it before he woke, and come at the wound, suddenly he sat up and dealt the man such a buffet on the head that he went near to death frorihteyes is mad He will not suffer that any touch his hair, except Gudruda, and yet, if his hair is not shorn, he must die, for the wound will fester under it Nor th, for then he will kill hi It is coht hither or Eric will shortly die”

”That may not be,” they answered ”How can the lady Gudruda come here across the snows, even if she will corih I put little trust in women's hearts Still, I ride down to Middalhof, and thou, Jon, shalt go with e you watch your lord; for, if I co amiss, that shall be the death of some, and if I do not come back but perish on the road, yet I will haunt you”

Now Jon liked not this task; still, for love of Eric and fear of Skallagrim, he set out with the Baresark They had a hard journey through the snow-drifts and the dark, but on the third day they came to Middalhof, knocked upon the door and entered

Noas supper-tireat black man, covered with snow and rime, stalk up the hall, and after hiroaned with the cold, and they wondered at the sight Gudruda sat on the high seat and the firelight beat upon her face

”Who comes here?” she said

”One ould speak with thee, lady,” answered Skallagririm the Baresark,” said a man ”He is an outlaw, let us kill hiri to be done, why here's that which shall do it,” and he drew out his axe and srimly

Then all held their peace, for they feared the axe of Skallagri or such child's play, I come to speak a word in thine ear--but first I ask a cup of mead and a morsel of food, for we have spent three days in the snows”

So they ate and drank Then Gudruda bade the Baresark draw near and tell her his tale

”Lady,” said he, ”Eric,on Mosfell”

Gudruda turned white as the snow

”Dying?--Eric lies dying?” she said ”Why, then, art thou here?”

”For this cause, lady: I think that thou canst save him, if he is not already sped” And he told her all the tale

Now Gudruda thought a while

”This is a hard journey,” she said, ”and it does not become a maid to visit outlaws in their caves Yet I a that riht while the ht and day are almost the same The snow is deep and we have no ti”

”Then ill ride to-night,” answered Gudruda

Afterwards, when people slept, Gudruda the Fair summoned her women, and bade them say to all who asked for her that she lay sick in bed But she called three trusty thralls, bidding thes, candles oods, and ride with her Then, all being ready, they rode away secretly up Stonefell, Gudruda on her horse Blacks that had been hay-fed in the yard, and by daylight they passed up Horse-Head Heights They slept two nights in the snow, and on the second night almost perished there, for much soft snow fell But afterwards came frost and a bitter northerly wind and they passed on

Gudruda was a strong woreat of heart and will, and so it came about that on the third day she reached Mosfell, weary but little harers of her left hand were frostbitten They climbed the mountain, and when they came to the dell where the horses were kept, certain of Eric's oes it noith Brighteyes?” said Skallagrim, for Gudruda could scarcely speak because of doubt and cold ”Is he dead, then?”

”Nay,” they answered, ”but like to die, for he is beside himself and raves wildly”

”Push on,” quoth Gudruda; ”push on, lest it be too late”

So they cliiddy point of rock where he must tread ould reach the platfor by her hands over Goldfoss gulf, Gudruda had feared to tread upon a height with nothing to hold to Skallagrim went first, then called to her to follow Thrice she looked, and turned away, tre, for the place ful and the fall bottomless Then she spoke aloud to herself: