bide
all honour to this new dwelling of his, "And somehow my mind forebodes
me that this will follow, that for a long time his name will be
remembered." Jorunn his wife said, "Wealth enough the slave's son has
got for his name to be long remembered." At the moment that the
house-carles had unloaded the pack horses Olaf rode into the place.
Then he said, "Now you shall have your curiosity satisfied with regard
to what you have been talking about all the winter, as to what this
place shall be called; it shall be called Herdholt." Every one thought
this a very happy name, in view of what used to happen there.[2] Olaf
now sets up his household at Herdholt, and a stately one it soon
became, and nothing was lacking there. And now the honour of Olaf
greatly increased, there being many causes to bring it about: Olaf was
the most beloved of men, for whatever he had to do with affairs of
men, he did so that all were well contented with their lot. His father
backed him up very much towards being a widely honoured man, and Olaf
gained much in power from his alliance with the Mere-men. Olaf was
considered the noblest of all Hoskuld's sons. The first winter that
Olaf kept house at Herdholt, he had many servants and workmen, and
work was divided amongst the house-carles; one looked after the dry
cattle and another after the cows. The fold was out in the wood, some
way from the homestead. [Sidenote: Hrapp's ghost] One evening the man
who looked after the dry cattle came to Olaf and asked him to make
some other man look after the neat and "set apart for me some other
work." Olaf answered, "I wish you to go on with this same work of
yours." The man said he would sooner go away. "Then you think there is
something wrong," said Olaf. "I will go this evening with you when you
do up the cattle, and if I think there is any excuse for you in this I
will say nothing about it, but otherwise you will find that your lot
will take some turn for the worse." Olaf took his gold-set spear, the
king's gift, in his hand, and left home, and with him the house-carle.
There was some snow on the ground. They came to the fold, which was
open, and Olaf bade the house-carle go in. "I will drive up the cattle
and you tie them up as they come in." The house-carle went to the
fold-door. And all unawares Olaf finds him leaping into his open arms.
Olaf asked why he went on so terrified? He replied, "Hrapp stands in
the doorway of the fold, and felt after me, but I hav