Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/285

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 277 So Erling stood ; but fate had willed saga vii. His life off Boken should be spilled. No braver man has, since his day, Past Boken Island ta'en his way." When Olaf went back a little upon the fore- deck he saw Erling' s behaviour ; and the king accosted him thus : — " Thou hast turned against me to-day, Erling." He replies, " The eagle turns his claws in defence when torn asunder." Sigvat the scald tells thus of these words of Erling : — " Erling, our best defence of old, — Erling the brave, the brisk, the bold, — Stood to his arms, gaily crying, ' Eagles should show their claws, though dying :' The very words which once before To Olaf he had said on shore, At Utstein, when they both prepared To meet the foe, and danger shared." Then said the king, " Wilt thou enter into my ser- vice, Erling ?" " That I will," said he; took the helmet off his head, laid down his sword and shield, and went for- ward to the forecastle deck. The king stuck him in the chin with the sharp point of his battle-axe, and said, " I shall mark thee as a traitor to thy sovereign." Then Aslak Fitiaskalle rose up, and struck Erling in the head with an axe, so that it stood fast in his brain, and was instantly his death-wound. Thus Erling lost his life. The king said to Aslak, " May all ill luck attend thee for that stroke ; for thou hast struck Norway out of my hands." Aslak replied, "It is bad enough if that stroke dis- please thee, for I thought it was striking Norway into thy hands ; and if I have given thee offence, sire, by this stroke, and have thy ill-will for it, it will go badly with me, for I will get so many men's ill-will and t 3