a desperate fight.

"Thus did the sons of Gunnhild clear their path. Thus, too, did the
wicked queen fulfil the vow that she had sworn many years before,
to exterminate the whole race of Harald Fairhair outside her
husband's line.

"But," added Sigurd, in a deep and solemn voice, "the flower that
is trampled under foot may yet leave its seed behind to come forth
in its own season and flourish. The race of King Harald was not yet
dead, and Queen Gunnhild presently found that there was a woman in
Norway whose true love and faithfulness were better than all the
guile and treachery that jealousy could devise. Triggvi Olafson's
widow, Queen Astrid, when she heard tidings of his murder, guessed
rightly that Gunnhild would pursue her, so she fled from Viken,
and journeyed north towards the Uplands, taking with her her two
young daughters, Ingibiorg and Astrid, together with such chattels
as she might have with her. In her company was her foster father,
Thoralf Lusaskegg by name, and his young son Thorgils. Thoralf
never left her, but guarded her always most faithfully, while other
trusty men of hers went about spying for tidings of her foes.

"Now very soon Astrid heard that Gunnhild's sons were pursuing her
with intent to kill her, so she let herself be hidden on a little
island in the midst of a certain lake. There on that island her
son was born, and she had him sprinkled with water and named Olaf,
after his father's father."

Sigurd paused, and laying his hand on Olaf's shoulder, "This," said
he, "is that same child, Olaf Triggvison, and he is the one true