Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/290

 282 CHRONICLE OF THE saga vii. upon my hands, ye lendermen, who have now changed your fealty, although but a little while ago ye were my friends and faithful to me." There are now two crosses erected upon the bank on which the king sat. Then the king mounted a horse, and rode without stopping up the valley, until he came to the preci- pice. Then the king asked Bruse if there was no summer hut of cattle-herds * in the n eighbourhood, where they could remain. He said there was. The king ordered his land-tent to be set up, and re- mained there all night. In the morning the king ordered them to drive to the steep slope, and try if they could get across it with the waggons. They drove there, and the king remained in the mean time in his tent. Towards evening the king's court-men and the bonders came back, and told how they had had a very fatiguing labour, without making any progress, and that there never could be a road made that they could get across ; so they continued there the second night, during which, for the whole night, the king was oc- cupied in prayer. As soon as he observed day dawn- ing he ordered his men to drive again to the steep, and try once more if they could get across it with the waggons ; but they went very unwillingly, say- ing nothing could be gained by it. When they were gone the man who had charge of the king's kitchen came, and said there were only two carcasses of young- cattle remaining of provision : " although you, sire, have 300 men, and there are 100 bonders besides." Then the king ordered that he should set all the kettles on the fire, and put a little bit of meat in each kettle, which was done. Then the king went there, and made the sign of the cross over each kettle, and told them to make ready the meat. The king then went to the steep Sel — Saeter in Norwegian — is a chalot or sheeling ; viz. a summer hut among the mountains for herds and their cattle.