Page:The Early Kings of Norway.djvu/148

 138 EARLY KINGS OF NORWAY. foredeck below, " Thou hast turned against me to- day, Erling." " The eagles fight breast to breast," answers he. This was a speech of the king's to Erling once long ago, while they stood fighting, not as now, but side by side. The king, with some transient thought of possibility going through his head, rejoins, "Wilt thou surrender, Erling?" " That will I," answered ,he ; took the helmet off his head ; laid down sword and shield ; and went forward to the forecastle deck. The king pricked, I think not very harshly, into Erling's chin or beard with the point of his battle-axe, saying, " I must mark thee as traitor to thy Sovereign, though." Whereupon one of the bystanders, Aslak Fitiaskalle, stupidly and fiercely burst up ; smote Erling on the head with his axe; so that it struck fast in his brain and was instantly the death of Erling. " Ill-luck attend thee for that stroke ; thou hast struck Norway out of my hand by it ! " cried the king to Aslak ; but forgave the poor fellow, who had done it meaning well. The insurrectionary Bonder fleet arriving soon after, as if for certain victory, was struck with astonishment at this Erling catastrophe ; and being now without any