Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/212

 200 CHRONICLE OF THK SAGA XII. mercy of the man who had loosened his chains : '' For he has wrouoht this miracle on thee that thou shouldst enjoy his mercy, and hereafter be free, without suffer- ing more misery and torture. Make haste, then, and seek the door; and if thou are able to slip out, thou art saved.'' He did so, found the door open, slipped out, and away to the forest. As soon as the Yendland people were aware of this they set loose the dogs, and pursued him in great haste ; and the poor man lay hid, and saw well where they were following him. But now the hounds lost the trace when they came nearer, and all the eyes that sought him were struck with a blindness, so that nobody could find him, although he lay before their feet ; and they all returned home, vexed that they could not find him. King Olaf did not permit this man's destruction after he had reached the forest, and restored him also to his health and hearing ; for they had so long tortured and beaten him that he had become deaf. At last he came on board of a ship, Avith two other Christian men who had been long afilicted in that country. All of them worked zealously in this vessel, and so had a successful flight. Then he repaired to the holy man's house, strong and fit to bear arms. Now he was vexed at his vow, went from his promise to the holy king, ran away one day, and came in the evening to a bonder who gave him lodging for God's sake. Then in the night he saw three girls coming to him ; and handsome and nobly dressed were they. They spoke to him directly, and sharply reprimanded him for having been so bold as to run from the good king who had shown so much compassion to him, first in freeing him from his irons, and then from the prison ; and yet he had deserted the mild master into whose service he had entered. Then he awoke full of terror, got up early, and told the house-father his dream. The good man