Page:The Mediaeval Mind Vol 1.djvu/184

162 At last all of Olaf's ships are cleared of men and cut adrift, save the Long Worm. There fight Olaf's chosen, mad with battle. Einar, Olaf's strong bowman, from the Worm aft in the main hold, shot at Earl Eric; one arrow pierced the tiller by his head, the second flew beneath his arm. Says the Earl to Finn, his bowman, "Shoot me yonder big man." Finn shot, and the arrow struck full upon Einar's bow as he was drawing it the third time, and it broke in the middle.

"What broke there so loud?" said Olaf.

"Norway, king, from thine hands," answered Einar.

"No such crash as that," said the king; "take my bow and shoot."

But the foeman's strength was overpowering. Olaf's men were cut down amidships. They hardly held the poop and bow. Earl Eric leads the boarders. The ship is full of foes. Olaf will not be taken. He leaps overboard. About the ship swarm boats to seize him; but he threw his shield over his head and sank quickly in the sea.

The private Sagas construct in powerful lines the characters of the heroes from the stories of their lives. A great example is the Saga of Egil, whose father was a Norse chief who had sailed to Iceland, where Egil was born. As a child he was moody, intractible, and dangerous, and once killed an older lad who had got the better of him at ball playing. There was no great love between him and his father. When he was twelve years old his father used him roughly. He entered the great hall and walked up to his father's steward and slew him. Then he went to his seat. After that, father and son said little to each other. The boy was bent on going cruising with his older brother, Thorolf. The father yields, and Egil goes a-harrying. Fierce is his course in Norway, where they come. On the sea his vessel bears him from deed to deed of blood and daring. His strength won him booty and reward; he won a friend too, Arinbjorn, and there was always troth between them.

Thorolf and Egil took service with King Athelstane, who was threatened with attack from the King of the Scots.