into two streams, which again united after
spreading out into a broad rippling shallow. Here Biarne was very
silent and very close in his inspection of the bed of the river,
particularly at the top and lower end of the island.

"It appears to me as if some plan were rolling in your head, Biarne,"
said Karlsefin; "what may it be?"

"Truly a plan is forming in my brain. Simple enough too, only the
details require consideration."

"Well, we must now return home, so we can discuss it on the way."

"You know of our custom in Iceland," said Biarne, as they retraced their
steps, "in regard to a river which is similar to this in the matter of
having two channels--they shut off the water from one channel and catch
the fish when the bed is dry."

"Know it? Ay, I know it well; why, man, how comes it that this did not
occur to me before? We will have it tried, and that without delay.
What is worth doing at all is worth doing at once, unless it can be
clearly shown that there shall be distinct gain by delay. As this
cannot be shown on the present occasion we will begin to-morrow."

Accordingly, in pursuance of this resolve, Karlsefin went down to the
island on Little River with a large party of men, and set to work.
Biarne undertook to superintend what may be termed the engineering
operations, and Thorward, who was a handy fellow, directed the
mechanical details.

First of all, Biarne fixed on the spot at the top of the island where a
dam was to be thrown across the right branch of the stream--that being
the channel which was to be run dry--and planned the direction in which
it was to be placed and the form it was to take. Then strong stakes
were driven into the bed of the river all across the head of that
branch. While this was being done Thorward marked off some tall
straight trees in the forest, and set men to cut them down, while
Karlsefin directed, and with his own hands aided, a party appointed to
collect large piles of earth, sand, stones, mud, and branches, on the
river's bank.

Although the men were numerous and active, the work was so extensive
that it was sunset before all the stakes were driven, the first of the
heavy logs laid down in the bed of the stream, and the rest of the
material collected in readiness on the banks. Having completed these
preparations they returned to the huts and made arrangements for a grand
effort on the following day.

Early in the morning nearly the whole body of the peopl