gs, he said what he least understood to
judge about was poetry. "But let us hear what it was." Then Eldjarn
sang:--

"I heard that in the bloody fight
Giparde drove all our foes to flight:
Brave Giparde would the foe abide,
While all our men ran off to hide.
At Foxerne the fight was won
By Giparde's valour all alone;
Where Giparde fought, alone was he;
Not one survived to fight or flee."

Then said the count, "Although I know but little about skald-craft,
I can hear that this is no slander, but rather the highest praise and
honour." Giparde could say nothing against it, yet he felt it was a
mockery.

16. BATTLE OF FOXERNE.

The spring after, as soon as the ice broke up, King Magnus, with a great
army, sailed eastwards to the Gaut river, and went up the eastern arm of
it, laying waste all that belonged to the Swedish dominions. When they
came to Foxerne they landed from their vessels; but as they came over
a river on their way an army of Gautland people came against them,
and there was immediately a great battle, in which the Northmen were
overwhelmed by numbers, driven to flight, and many of them killed near
to a waterfall. King Magnus fled, and the Gautlanders pursued, and
killed those they could get near. King Magnus was easily known. He was
a very stout man, and had a red short cloak over him, and bright yellow
hair like silk that fell over his shoulders. Ogmund Skoptason, who was
a tall and handsome man, rode on one side of the king. He said, "Sire,
give me that cloak."

The king said, "What would you do with it?"

"I would like to have it," said Ogmund; "and you have given me greater
gifts, sire."

The road was such that there were great and wide plains, so that the
Gautlanders and Northmen were always in sight of each other, unless
where clumps of wood and bushes concealed them from each other now and
then. The king gave Ogmund the cloak and he put it on. When they came
out again upon the plain ground, Ogmund and his people rode off right
across the road. The Gautlanders, supposing this must be the king, rode
all after him, and the king proceeded to the ships. Ogmund escaped with
great difficulty; however, he reached the ships at last in safety. King
Magnus then sailed down the river, and proceeded north to Viken.

17. MEETING OF THE KINGS AT THE GAUT RIVER.

The following summer a meeting of the kings was agreed upon at Konghelle
on the Gaut river