en asked him if he would not go to King Helgi and make peace
with him, and pray himself free from Baldur's wrath.

But he answered: "Hereby I swear that I will never pray Helgi for
peace."

Then he went aboard Ellidi, and they sailed out along the Sognnrth.

But when Frithiof was gone from home, King Halfdan spake to Helgi his
brother: "Better lordship and more had we if Frithiof had payment for
his masterful deed: now therefore let us burn his stead, and bring on
him and his men such a storm on the sea as shall make an end of them."

Helgi said it was a thing meet to be done.

So then they burned up clean all the stead at Foreness and robbed it of
all goods; and after that sent for two witch-wives, Heidi and Hamglom,
and gave them money to raise against Frithiof and his men so mighty a
storm that they should all be lost at sea. So they sped the witch-song,
and went up on the witch-mount with spells and sorcery.

CHAPTER VI. Frithiof Sails for the Orkneys.

SO when Frithiof and his men were come out of the Sognfirth there fell
on them great wind and storm, and an exceeding heavy sea: but the ship
drave on swiftly, for sharp built she was, and the best to breast the
sea.

So now Frithiof sang:--

"Oft let I swim from Sogn
My tarred ship sooty-sided,
When maids sat o'er the mead-horn
Amidst of Baldur's Meadows;
Now while the storm is wailing
Farewell I bid you maidens,
Still shall ye love us, sweet ones,
Though Ellidi the sea fill."

Said Biorn: "Thou mightest well find other work to do than singing songs
over the maids of Baldur's Meadows."

"Of such work shall I not speedily run dry, though," said Frithiof.
Then they bore up north to the sounds nigh those isles that are called
Solundir, and therewith was the gale at its hardest.

Then sang Frithiof:

"Now is the sea a-swelling,
And sweepeth the rack onward;
Spells of old days cast o'er us
Make ocean all unquiet;
No more shall we be striving
Mid storm with wash of billows,
But Solundir shall shelter
Our ship with ice-beat rock-walls."

So they lay to under the lee of the isles hight Solundir, and were
minded to abide there; but straightway thereon the wind fell: then they
turned away from under the lee of the islands, and now their voyage
seemed hopeful to them, because the wind wa