Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/237

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 229 upon the cellar, and they were provided with plenty s aga v h. of liquor; but as they observed no moderation in drinking, they became towards evening confused in the head with the ale. As they were quite drunk, those who had to bring meat to the prisoners in the cellar said among themselves that they should want for nothing. Thorodd amused the slaves by singing to them. They said he was a clever man, and gave him a large candle that was lighted ; and the slaves who were in went to call the others to come in : but they were all so confused with the ale, that in going out they neither locked the cellar nor the room after them. Now Thorodd and his comrades tore up their skin clothes in strips, knotted them together, made a noose at one end, and threw up the rope on the floor of the room. It fastened itself around a chest, by which they tried to haul themselves up. Thorodd lifted up his comrade until he stood on his shoulders, and from- thence scrambled up through the hatch- hole. There was no want of ropes in the chamber, and he threw a rope down to Thorodd ; but when he tried to draw him up, he could not move him from the spot. Then Thorodd told him to cast the rope over a cross-beam that was in the house, make a loop in it, and place as much wood and stones in the loop as would outweigh him ; and the heavy weight went down into the cellar, and Thorodd was drawn up by it. Now they took as much clothes as they required in the room ; and among other things they took some reindeer hides, out of which they cut sandals, and bound them under their feet, with the hoofs of the reindeer feet trailing behind. But before they set off they set fire to a large corn barn which was close by, and then ran out into the pitch-dark night. The barn blazed, and set fire* to many other houses in the village. Thorodd and his comrade travelled the whole night until they came to a lonely wood, where they Q 3