ll only lose
yourselves, and starve, and when the nine years are ended who can tell
where you may be?"

But his words fell on deaf ears; for Slagfid and Eigil merely filled
their wallets with food and their horns with drink, and prepared to
take leave of their brother. Wayland embraced them weeping, for he
feared that he should never more see them, and once again he implored
them to give up their quest. Slagfid and Eigil only shook their heads.
"We have no rest, night or day, without them," they said, and they
begged him to look after their property till they came back again.

Wayland saw that more words would be wasted, so he walked with them to
the edge of the forest, where their ways would part. Then Slagfid
said: "Our fathers, when they went a journey, left behind them a token
by which it might be known whether they were dead or alive, and I will
do so also." So he stamped heavily on the soft ground, and added, "As
long as this footmark remains sharp and clear, I shall be safe. If it
is filled with water I shall be drowned; if with blood, I shall have
fallen in battle. But if it is filled with earth an illness will have
killed me, and I shall lie under the ground." Thus he did, and Eigil
did likewise. Then they cut stout sticks to aid their journeys, and
went their ways. Wayland stood gazing after them as long as they were
in sight, and then he went sadly home.

PART IV.

Slagfid and Eigil walked steadily on through the day, and when evening
came they reached a stream bordered with trees, where they took off
their golden helmets and sat down to rest and eat. They had gone far
that day and were tired, and drank somewhat heavily, so that they knew
not what they did. "If I lose my Swanvite," said Slagfid, "I am
undone. She is the fairest woman that sun ever looked on, or that man
ever loved."

"It is a lie," answered Eigil. "I know one lovelier still, and her
name is Alruna. Odin does not love Freya so fondly as Eigil adores
her."

"It is no lie," cried Slagfid, "and may shame fall on him who slanders
me."

"And I," answered Eigil, "stand to what I have said, and declare that
you are the liar." At this they both drew their swords and fell
fighting, till Slagfid struck Eigil's helmet so hard that the jewel
flew into a thousand pieces, while Eigil himself fell backwards into
the river.

Slagfid stood still, leaning on his sword and looking at the river into
which his brother had fallen. Sudd