Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/64

 56 CHRONICLE OF THE saga vn. When King Olaf came to the knowledge of this he sent out his pursuivants after them, who found them at the Ness in Stein, bound their hands behind their backs, and led them down to the point called Gaula- ras, where they raised a gallows, and hanged' them so that they could be seen by those who travelled the usual sea-way out of the fiord. Thorgaut heard this news before he had travelled far on his way home through the Drontheim country ; and he hastened on his journey until he came to the Swedish king, and told him how it had gone with them. The king was highly enraged when he heard the account of it ; and he had no lack of high words. Sigvat tells of it thus : — " Twelve Swedish men, I've heard it said, Were here in Norway prisoners made; Olaf would mercy show to none, But had them hanged up every one. 'Tis not the first time I have known Those who the Swedish monarch own On Sigur's horse ride in the sky, Their souls in hell, their heads hung high." Chapter The spring thereafter King Olaf Haraldsson calls King ohif out an army from the Drontheim land, and makes sktaSsso.T rea( ty to proceed eastward. Some of the Iceland reconciled, traders were then ready to sail from Norway. With them King Olaf sent word and token to Hialte Skeg- geson, and summoned him to come to him ; and at the same time sent a verbal message to Skopte the lagman, and other men who principally took part in the lawgiving of Iceland, to take out of the law whatever appeared contrary to Christianity. He sent besides a message of friendship to the people in gene- ral. The king then proceeded southwards himself along the coast, stopping at every district, and hold- ing Things with the bonders ; and in each Thing he ordered the Christian law to be read, together with the message of salvation thereunto belonging, and with which many ill customs and much heathenism were