men enough to fill three ships. Ay, the sailing of Thord the Tall,
Snaekol Gunnarson, and Thorfin of Skapstead is not forgotten yet
in Norway. We went to Laxafiord, for there dwelt Olaf, son of
Hakon. You have heard the tale?" he cried suddenly, "you know of
the burning?"

"Go on," said Estein, in a hard, dry voice; "I am listening," and
all the while his right hand sought his side.

"It was a deed," said the hermit, "that made all Norway ring. We
landed in the night time, and saw the lights of the hall between
the pine trees. They were feasting, and they heard not our
approach. We made a ring round the house and heaped faggots
against the walls, and still they heard us not. It was a dark
night, Vandrad, very dark, till we lit a fire that was seen by men
in the outer islands. Then they heard us, they smelt the smoke,
and they ran to the doors. The first man who came out I clove to
the waist, for none in Norway had greater skill at arms than I.
Then we drove them in and closed the door. Sometimes at night I
hear them shriek even now. There was never such a burning in
Norway; we spared not one soul, not one.

"They asked us to let the women out, but we had come there to slay
and not to spare. They shrieked, Vandrad; they cried till the roof
fell in, and then they died. My soul is safe with God, and they
are in outer darkness. There they will shriek for ever."

He paused for a moment, and then went on in the same strain of
high excitement,--