Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/179

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 171 were cooking meat. From their conversation he dis- SAGA VI1 - covered immediately that the king Olaf had come there to a feast, and that he had just sat down to table. Asbiorn turned then to the f easting-room, and when he came into the ante-room one was going in and another coming out ; but nobody took notice of him. The hall-door was open, and he saw that Thorer Sel stood before the table of the high seat. It was set- ting late in the evening, and Asbiorn heard people ask Thorer what had taken place between him and Asbiorn ; and Thorer had a long story about it, in which he evidently departed from the truth. Among other things he heard a man say, " How did Asbiorn behave when you discharged his vessel?" Thorer replied, " When we were taking out the cargo he bore it tolerably, but not well; and when we took the sail from him he wept." When Asbiorn heard this he suddenly drew his sword, rushed into the hall, and cut at Thorer. The stroke took him in the neck, so that the head fell upon the table before the king, and the body at his feet, and the table-cloth was soiled with blood from top to bottom. The king ordered him to be seized and taken out. This was done. They laid hands on Asbiorn, and took him from the hall. The table -furniture and table-cloths were re- moved, and also Thorer's corpse, and all the blood wiped up. The king was enraged to the highest ; but remained quiet in speech, as he always was when in anger. Skialg Erlingsson stood up, went before the king, Chapter and said, " Now may it go, as it often does, that every f skfa^, case will admit of alleviation. I will pay thee the the . sono&f ' mulct for the bloodshed on account of this man, so skiaifsson. that he may retain life and limbs. All the rest de- termine and do, king, according to thy pleasure." The king replies, " Is it not a matter of death, Skialg, that a man break the Easter peace ; and in the