en, both great and small, then and there assembled, that
they should calmly consider the proposals of the King, and not allow
themselves to be carried away by unsound reasoning, although it might
seem very plausible, for he was certain that the King's desire was the
good of the country; and although circumstances had rendered it
necessary that some of the rebellious should be punished, no one could
say that the King was not willing and ready to do all that he did in a
fair, open, and straightforward manner.

At this Erling was unable to restrain himself. He sprang up, and, with
a passionate flow of words that burst forth like a mountain torrent,
exclaimed--

"Thinkest thou, Jarl Rongvold, that our brains are so addled that we
cannot distinguish between black and white? Is thy memory so short, is
thy slavery to the King so complete, that thou must say evil is good and
good evil? Hast thou and has the King so soon forgotten that two
strangers came to the court with a message from one of the legal
assemblies of this land,--that, trusting to the honour of the King, they
came without following, and with only such arms as were needful for
personal defence,--and that the honour to which they trusted was not
proof against the temptation to send a noted berserk and nineteen men to
waylay and slay them? Is all this clean gone from your memory, Jarl and
King? or is your wit so small that ye should think we will believe in
soft words about fair play when such foul deeds are so recent that the
graves are yet wet with the blood of those whom Glumm and I were
compelled to slay in self-defence?"

At this the King started up, and his face became white and red by turns,
as he said--

"Ye shall, both of you, rue this day, Erling and Glumm!"

Erling made no reply, but Glumm started up and was in so great a passion
that he could hardly speak; nevertheless he made shift to splutter out--

"Threats, King Harald, are like water spilt on a shield which can only
rust if left there; I wipe them off and fling them away!"

He could add no more, but with a contemptuous motion of the hand he
struck his fist violently against his shirt of mail, and the bonders
laughed while they applauded him.

Then stood up a man in the troop of the Springdal men, who was of great
stature and grim countenance, clad in a leather cloak, with an axe on
his shoulder and a great steel hat upon his head. He looked sternly,
and said--

"When rights are not r