was a big man, and shapely of body; and though he was called a thrall,
yet few could be found his equal amongst those called freemen, and he
knew well how to serve his master. Thord had many other thralls,
though this one is the only one mentioned here. Thorbjorn was the name
of a man. He lived in Salmon-river-Dale, next to Thord, up valley away
from his homestead, and was called Skrjup. He was very rich in
chattels, mostly in gold and silver. [Sidenote: Houskuld goes abroad]
He was an huge man and of great strength. No squanderer of money on
common folk was he. Hoskuld, Dalakoll's son, deemed it a drawback to
his state that his house was worse built than he wished it should be;
so he bought a ship from a Shetland man. The ship lay up in the mouth
of the river Blanda. That ship he gets ready, and makes it known that
he is going abroad, leaving Jorunn to take care of house and children.
They now put out to sea, and all went well with them; and they hove
somewhat southwardly into Norway, making Hordaland, where the
market-town called Biorgvin was afterwards built. Hoskuld put up his
ship, and had there great strength of kinsmen, though here they be not
named. Hakon, the king, had then his seat in the Wick. Hoskuld did not
go to the king, as his kinsfolk welcomed him with open arms. That
winter all was quiet (in Norway).




CHAP. XII

Hoskuld Buys a Slave Woman


There were tidings at the beginning of the summer that the king went