left the sledge to run after the squirrel: but
still the squirrel sprang where the wood was thickest, sometimes among
the roots of the trees, sometimes in the branches, sometimes among the
arms that stretch from tree to tree. When Atte shot at it the arrows
flew too high or too low, and the squirrel never jumped so that Atte
could get a fair aim at him. He was so eager upon this chase that he ran
the whole day after the squirrel, and yet could not get hold of it. It
was now getting dark; so he threw himself down upon the snow, as he was
wont, and lay there all night in a heavy snow-storm. Next day Atte got
up to look after his sledge, but never did he find it again; and so he
returned home. And this is the only news, king, I have to tell."

The king says, "This is news of but little importance, if it be all thou
hast to tell."

Ernund replies, "Lately something happened which may well be called
news. Gaute Tofason went with five warships out of the Gaut river,
and when he was lying at the Eikrey Isles there came five large Danish
merchant-ships there. Gaute and his men immediately took four of the
great vessels, and made a great booty without the loss of a man: but the
fifth vessel slipped out to sea, and sailed away. Gaute gave chase with
one ship, and at first came nearer to them; but as the wind increased,
the Danes got away. Then Gaute wanted to turn back; but a storm came on
so that he lost his ship at Hlesey, with all the goods, and the greater
part of his crew. In the meantime his people were waiting for him at the
Eikrey Isles: but the Danes came over in fifteen merchant-ships, killed
them all, and took all the booty they had made. So but little luck had
they with their greed of plunder."

The king replied. "That is great news, and worth being told; but what
now is thy errand here?"

Emund replies, "I travel, sire, to obtain your judgment in a difficult
case, in which our law and the Upsala law do not agree."

The king asks, "What is thy appeal case?"

Emund replies, "There were two noble-born men of equal birth, but
unequal in property and disposition. They quarrelled about some land,
and did each other much damage; but most was done to him who was the
more powerful of the two. This quarrel, however, was settled, and judged
of at a General Thing; and the judgment was, that the most powerful
should pay a compensation. But at the first payment, instead of paying
a goose, he paid a gosling; for an old swine