Thiostolf, and then he went on--

"The woman who is thy wife has made a bad match, and you shall not live
much longer together."

Then Thorwald snatched up a fishing-knife that lay by him, and made a
stab at Thiostolf; he had lifted his axe to his shoulder and dashed it
down. It came on Thorwald's arm and crushed the wrist, but down fell the
knife. Then Thiostolf lifted up his axe a second time and gave Thorwald
a blow on the head, and he fell dead on the spot.




CHAPTER XII.

THIOSTOLF'S FLIGHT.


While this was going on, Thorwald's men came down with their load, but
Thiostolf was not slow in his plans. He hewed with both hands at the
gunwale of the skiff and cut it down about two planks; then he leapt
into his boat, but the dark blue sea poured into the skiff, and down she
went with all her freight. Down too sank Thorwald's body, so that his
men could not see what had been done to him, but they knew well enough
that he was dead, Thiostolf rowed away up the firth, but they shouted
after him wishing him ill luck. He made them no answer, but rowed on
till he got home, and ran the boat up on the beach, and went up to the
house with his axe, all bloody as it was, on his shoulder. Hallgerda
stood out of doors, and said--