Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/143

 orn s KINGS OF NORWAY. 135 firm set men to rule over his land in Orkney, but he saga vn. himself was generally in Caithness. Earl Einar was generally on viking expeditions to Ireland, Scotland, and Bretland. One summer that Earl Einar marauded in Ireland, Chapter he fought in Ulfreks-fiord * with the Irish king Eyvind Konofoger, as has been related before, and suffered Urar ; i( murde there a great defeat. The summer after this Eyvind Urarhorn was coming from the west from Ireland, intending to go to Norway ; but the weather was boisterous, and the current against him, so he ran into Osmundwallf, and lay there wind-bound for some time. When Earl Einar heard of this, he hastened thither with many people, took Eyvind prisoner, and ordered him to be put to death ; but spared the lives of most of his people. In autumn they pro- ceeded to Norway to King Olaf, and told him Eyvind was killed. The king said little about it, but one could see that he considered it a great and vexatious loss ; for he did not usually say much if any thing turned out contrary to his wishes. Earl Thorium sent Thor- kel Fosterer to the islands to gather in his scatt. Now as Einar gave Thorkel the greatest blame for the dispute in which Thorfinn had made claim to the islands, Thorkel came suddenly back to Caithness from Orkney, and told Earl Thorfinn that he had learnt that Earl Einar would have murdered him if his friends and relations had not given him notice to escape. " Now," says he, "it is come so far be- tween the earl and me, that either something decisive between us must take place if we meet, or I must re- move to such a distance that his power will not reach me." The earl encouraged Thorkel much to go east to Norway to King Olaf. " Thou wilt be highly f Asmundarvagr is Osmund wall, in the island of Wallis; called Vagaland in the Orkneyinga Saga. K 4
 * Dundalk bay.