the people had indeed taken place as he and Gudmund had said the
second time. Heathen men deemed that on them rested no less
responsibility when ceremonies of this kind had to be gone through
than Christian men do when ordeals are decreed. He who passed under
"earth-chain" cleared himself if the sward-slip did not fall down upon
him. Thorkell made an arrangement with two men that they should feign
quarrelling over something or another, and be close to the spot when
the ordeal was being gone through with, and touch the sward-slip so
unmistakably that all men might see that it was they who knocked it
down. After this comes forward he who was to go through with the
ordeal, and at the nick of time when he had got under the
"earth-chain," these men who had been put up to it fall on each other
with weapons, meeting close to the arch of the sward-slip, and lie
there fallen, and down tumbles the "earth-chain", as was likely
enough. Then men rush up between them and part them, which was easy
enough, for they fought with no mind to do any harm. Thorkell Trefill
then asked people as to what they thought about the ordeal, and all
his men now said that it would have turned out all right if no one
had spoilt it. Then Thorkell took all the chattels to himself, but the
land at Hrapstead was left to lie fallow.




CHAP. XIX

Hrut Comes to Iceland


Now of Hoskuld it is to be told that his state is one of great honour,