ose; he had a boil on his foot by
the instep, and from this oozed blood and matter as he strode on. In
this guise he went before the earl with Audun and the rest of them,
and greeted him well. The earl knew Audun, and asked him tidings from
Iceland. Audun told him what there was toward. Then the earl asked
Gunnlaug who he was, and Gunnlaug told him his name and kin. Then
the earl said: "Skuli Thorstein's son, what manner of man is this in
Iceland?"

"Lord," says he, "give him good welcome, for he is the son of the best
man in Iceland, Illugi the Black of Gilsbank, and my foster-brother
withal."

The earl asked, "What ails thy foot, Icelander?"

"A boil, lord," said he.

"And yet thou wentest not halt?"

Gunnlaug answers, "Why go halt while both legs are long alike?"

Then said one of the earl's men, called Thorir: "He swaggereth hugely,
this Icelander! It would not be amiss to try him a little."

Gunnlaug looked at him and sang:--

"A courtman there is
Full evil I wis,
A bad man and black,
Belief let him lack."

Then would Thorir seize an axe. The earl spake: "Let it be," says he;
"to such things men should pay no heed. But now, Icelander, how old a
man art thou?"

Gunnlaug answers: "I am eighteen winters old as now," says he.

Then says Earl Eric, "My spell is that thou shalt not live eighteen
winters more."

Gunnlaug said, somewhat under his breath: "Pray not against me, but for
thyself rather."

The earl asked thereat, "What didst thou say, Icelander?"

Gunnlaug answers, "What I thought well befitting, that thou shouldst bid
no prayers against me, but pray well for thyself rather."

"What prayers, then?" says the earl.

"That thou mightest not meet thy death after the manner of Earl Hakon,
thy father."

The earl turned red as blood, and bade them take the rascal in haste;
but Skuli stepped up to the earl, and said: "Do this for my words, lord,
and give this man peace, so that he depart at his swiftest."

The earl answered, "At his swiftest let him be off then, if he will have
peace, and never let him come again within mv realm."

Then Skuli went out with Gunnlaug down to the bridges, where there was
an England-bound ship ready to put out; therein Skuli got for Gunnlaug
a berth, as well as for Thorkel, his kinsman; but Gunnlaug gave his ship
into Audun's ward, and so much of his goods as he did not take with him.

Now sail Gunnlaug and his fellows int