brought in a bowl
filled with glowing coals, and had it set on the belly of Eyvind, and
not long was it ere his belly burst asunder.

Then spake Eyvind: 'Take away the bowl from off me for I would fain
speak some words before I die,' and accordingly it was done.

Then the King asked: 'Wilt thou now, Eyvind, believe on Christ?' 'No,'
answered he. 'I am not such as can be baptized, I am a spirit quickened
in the human body by the magic of the Lapps for before that had my
father and mother never a child.' Then died Eyvind who was the most
skilled of wizards.

[Illustration]

|| In the spring which followed on these happenings did King Olaf cause
his ships and men to be made ready for war, taking for his own ship the
'Crane,' and there was mustered a large and goodly host.

All things being now ready shaped he a course from out the fjord, and
bringing his fleet north past Byrda fared northward to Halogaland.
Wheresoever he landed, summoned he a Thing, & at it offered the people
baptism in the true Faith. Now against this had no man the boldness to
speak, therefore came it to pass that whithersoever he fared were all
that were of those lands baptized. King Olaf visited Tiotta and was the
guest of Harek, who was baptized at that hour together with all the folk
that were about him.

When the King departed thence Harek bestowed on him great gifts and
became his man, and from the King received the dignity of bailiff with
the dues and rights appertaining unto a lord of the land.

|| Raud the Strong was the name of a peasant who abode at Godey in that
fjord which is named Salpti (Salten).

Raud was a man of much wealth and at his beck were many house-carles;
a powerful man was he withal, for a large company of Lapps were ready to
follow him to war whensoever he needed them.

Raud was zealous as a maker of blood-offerings, and skilled also in
witchcraft; even so was he furthermore a warm friend to that man about
whom it has been writ before, to wit, Thorir Hart, & even like unto him
was he also a mighty chief.

Now when it came to the ears of these men that Olaf was abroad with an
host northward even in Halogaland, they too their men mustered,
launching out ships, and assembling an host. To Raud appertained a great
dragon-ship with golden heads thereto, a ship of thirty benches, and
broad was she of beam for her length, and had likewise Thorir Hart also
a ship of good size.

Southward sailed they their fleet pu