Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/215

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 207 whence the king proceeded to Hordaland, and was sagavh. entertained there in guest-quarters. The same summer a ship sailed from Norway to Chapter CXLV the Faroe Islands, with messengers carrying a verbal Thoralf' s message from King Olaf, that one of his court-men, murder - Leif Ossursson, or Lagman Gille, or Thoralf of Dimon, should come over to him from the Faroe Islands. Now when this message came to the Faroe Islands, and was delivered to those whom it concerned, they held a meeting among themselves, to consider what might lie under this message, and they were all of opinion that the king wanted to inquire into the real state of the event which some said had taken place upon the islands ; namely, the failure and dis- appearance of the former messengers of the king, and the loss of the two ships, of which not a man had been saved. It was resolved that Thoralf should undertake the journey. He got himself ready, and rigged out a merchant-vessel belonging to himself, manned with ten or twelve men. When it was ready, waiting a wind, it happened at Ostero, in the house of Thrand of Gatta, that he went one fine day into the room where his brother's two sons, Sigurd and Thord the Low, sons of Thorlak, were lying upon the benches in the room. Gaut the Red was also there, who was one of their relations and a man of distinction. Sigurd was the oldest, and their leader in all things. Thord had a distinguishing name, and was called Thord the Low, although in reality he was uncommonly tall, and yet in proportion more strong than large. Then Thrand said, " How many things are changed in the course of a man's life. When we were young, it was rare for young people who were able to do any thing to sit or lie still upon a fine day, and our forefathers would scarcely have believed that Thoralf of Dimon would be bolder and more active than ye are. I believe the vessel I have