says Hallvard.
“What dost thou want of him?” says Gunnar.
He answered, “He is a fine brave fellow, and he will be sure to
get us some more strength for our voyage.”
“Then let us go thither,” says Gunnar.
So, as soon as they were “boun,” they held on east to Hisingen,
and had there a hearty welcome. Gunnar had only been there a
short time ere Oliver made much of him. Oliver asks about his
voyage, and Hallvard says that Gunnar wishes to go a-warfaring to
gather goods for himself.
“There’s no use thinking of that,” says Oliver, “when ye have no
force.”
“Well” says Hallvard, “then you may add to it.”
“So I do mean to strengthen Gunnar somewhat,” says Oliver; “and
though thou reckonest thyself my kith and kin, I think there is
more good in him.”
“What force, now, wilt thou add to ours?” he asks.
“Two longships, one with twenty, and the other with thirty seats
for rowers.”
“Who shall man them?” asks Hallvard.
“I will man one of them with my own housecarles, and the freemen
around shall man the other. But still I have found out that
strife has come into the river, and I know not whether ye two
will be able to get away; for they are in the river.”
“Who?” says Hallvard.
“Brothers twain,” says Oliver; “one’s name is Vandil, and the
other’s Karli, sons of Sjolf the Old, east away out of Gothland.”
Hallvard told Gunnar that Oliver had added some ships to theirs,
and Gunnar was glad at that. They busked them for their voyage
thence, till they were “allboun.” Then Gunnar and Hallvard went
before Oliver, and thanked him; he bade them fare warily for the
sake of those brothers.
ENDNOTES:
(1) A town at the mouth of the Christiania Firth. It was a
great place for traffic in early times, and was long the
only mart in the southeast of Norway.
30. GUNNAR GOES A-SEA-ROVING
So Gunnar held on out of the river, and he and Kolskegg were both
on board one ship. But Hallvard was on board another. Now, they
see the ships before them, and then Gunnar spoke, and said, “Let
us be ready for anything if they turn towards us! but else let
us have nothing to do with them.”
So they did that, and made all ready on board their ships. The
others parted their ships asunder, and made a fareway between the
ships. Gunnar fared straight on between the ships, but Vandil
caught up a grappling-iron, and cast it between their ships and
Gunnar’s ship, and began at once to drag it towards him.
Oliver had given Gunnar a good sword; Gunnar now drew it, and had
not yet put on his helm. He leapt at once on the forecastle of
Vandil’s ship, and gave one man his deathblow. Karli ran his
