etly
as possible. Then they placed the lump of wood with the axe sticking in
it beside him. This accomplished, they rowed silently to the side of
the Dragon, where a sentinel demanded what they wanted.

"We bring a prisoner to King Harald," answered Erling. "We have him
here tied hand and foot."

"Who is he?" asked the sentinel; for there was not so much light as is
usual at midnight of that time of the year, owing to a mist on the sea.

"Thou shalt see when he is aboard."

"Hoist him up, then," said the man, Erling and his carle raised Hake
over the bulwarks, and let him drop heavily on the deck. Then Erling
seized the lump of wood and hurled it on board with considerable force,
so that, hitting the sentinel on the head, it bounded onwards to the
after part of the ship, and struck against the tent under which Harald
lay. The King sprang out, sword in hand, but Erling had pushed off, and
was already enveloped in the mist. As they rowed away they heard a
great clamour on board the Dragon, but it was quickly hushed by a stern
voice, which Erling knew to be that of the King.

No pursuit was attempted. Erling got back to his own ship, and, setting
a watch, lay down to rest.

In the morning no notice was taken of what had occurred during the
night. The King evidently pretended that he knew nothing about the
matter. He again met with the chief men of the district, and made them
many promises and many complimentary speeches, but in his heart he
resolved that the day should come when every one of them should either
bow before his will or lose his life. The bonders, on the other hand,
listened with due respect to all the King said, but it need scarcely be
added that their lips did not express all their thoughts; for while the
sanguine and more trustful among them felt some degree of hope and
confidence, there were others who could not think of the future except
with the most gloomy forebodings.

In this mood the two parties separated. The King sailed with his
warships out among the skerries, intending to proceed north to
Drontheim, while Haldor the Fierce, with his friends and men, went back
to Horlingdal.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

RELATES TO SUCH ELEMENTARY MATTERS AS THE A B C, AND TOUCHES ON
LOVE-MAKING IN THE OLDEN TIME.

After the occurrence of the events just narrated, King Harald's
attention was diverted from the people of Horlingdal and the
neighbouring districts by the doings of certain small kings,