Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/350

 342 CHRONICLE OF THE SAGA VII. Chapter CCL. Of Thorer Hund. Chapter CCLI. Of King Olaf's body. and search the hut, they went and took the body out of it, and removed it to a garden, where they con- cealed it, and then returned to the farm, and slept there all night. The fifth day after this, Thorer Hund came down the valley of V^rdal to Stiklestad ; and many people, both chiefs and bonders, accompanied him. The field of battle was still being cleared, and people were carry- ing away the bodies of their friends and relations, and were giving the necessary help to such of the wounded as they wished to save ; but many had died since the battle. Thorer Hund went to where the king had fallen, and searched for his body; but not finding it, he inquired if any one could tell him what had become of the corpse, but nobody could tell him where it was. Then he asked the bonder Thorgils, who said, " I was not in the battle, and knew little of what took place there; but many reports are abroad, and among others that King Olaf has been seen in the night up at Staf, and a troop of people with him : but if he fell in the battle, your men must have concealed him in some hole, or under some stone-heap." Now although Thorer Hund knew for certain that the king had fallen, many allowed themselves to believe, and to spread abroad the report, that the king had escaped from the battle, and would in a short time come again upon them with an army. Then Thorer went to his ships, and sailed down the fiord, and the bonder-army dispersed, carrying with them all the wounded men who could bear to be removed. Thorgils Halmesson and his son Grim had King Olaf's body, and were anxious about preserving it from falling into the hands of the king's enemies, and being ill-treated ; for they heard the bonders speaking about burning it, or sinking it in the sea. The father and son had seen a clear light burning at night over the spot on the battle-field where King Olaf's body