Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/218

 210 CHRONICLE OF THE .saga vii. make oath according to what stands in your laws. Or, if ye find it more satisfactory, I offer to clear myself by the ordeal of hot iron ; and I wish, sire, that you may be present yourself at the proof." When Sigurd had ceased to speak there were many who supported his case, and begged the king that Sigurd might be allowed to clear himself of this accu- sation. They thought that Sigurd had spoken well, and that the accusation against him might be untrue. The king replies, " It may be with regard to this man very differently, and if he is belied in any respect he must be a good man ; and if not, he is the boldest I have ever met with : and I doubt this is the case, and that he will bear witness to it himself." At the desire of the people, the king took Sigurd's obligation to take the iron ordeal: he should come the following day to Lygra, where the bishop should preside at the ordeal; and so the Thing closed. The king went back to Lygra, and Sigurd and his comrades to their ship. As soon as it began to be dark at night, Sigurd said to his ship's people, " To say the truth, we have come into a great misfortune ; for a great lie is got up against us, and this king is a deceitful crafty man. Our fate is easy to be foreseen where he rules ; for first he made Thoralf be slain, and then made us the misdoers, without benefit of redemption by fine. For him it is an easy matter to manage the iron ordeal, so that I doubt he will come ill off who tries it against him. Now there is coming a brisk mountain breeze, blowing right out of the sound and off the land ; and it is my advice that we hoist our sail, and set out to sea. Let Thrand himself come with his wool to market another summer ; but if I get away, it is my opinion I shall never think of coming to Norway again." His comrades thought the advice good, hoisted