she bade them put out the cock-boat that was in the ferry.
Thured got into the boat with two men, and bade the others take care
of the ship she left behind until she returned. She took the little
maid in her arms, and bade the men row across the current until they
should reach the ship (of Giermund). She took a gimlet out of the
boat's locker, and gave it to one of her companions, and bade him go
to the cockle-boat belonging to the merchant ship and bore a hole in
it so as to disable it if they needed it in a hurry. Then she had
herself put ashore with the little maid still in her arms. This was at
the hour of sunrise. She went across the gangway into the ship, where
all men were asleep. She went to the hammock where Giermund slept. His
sword Footbiter hung on a peg pole. Thured now sets the little maid in
the hammock, and snatched off Footbiter and took it with her. Then she
left the ship and rejoined her companions. Now the little maid began
to cry, and with that Giermund woke up and recognised the child, and
thought he knew who must be at the bottom of this. He springs up
wanting to seize his sword, and misses it, as was to be expected, and
then went to the gunwale, and saw that they were rowing away from the
ship. [Sidenote: Thured's revenge] Giermund called to his men, and
bade them leap into the cockle-boat and row after them. They did so,
but when they got a little way they found how the coal-blue sea poured
into them, so they went back to the ship. Then Giermund called Thured
and bade her come back and give him his sword Footbiter, "and take
your little maid, and with her as much money as you like." Thured
answered, "Would you rather than not have the sword back?" Giermund
answered, "I would give a great deal of money before I should care to
let my sword go." Thured answered, "Then you shall never have it
again, for you have in many ways behaved cowardly towards me, and here
we shall part for good." Then Giermund said, "Little luck will you get
with the sword." Thured said she would take the risk of that. "Then I
lay thereon this spell," said Giermund, "That this sword shall do to
death the man in your family in who would be the greatest loss, and in
a manner most ill-fated." After that Thured went home to Herdholt.
Olaf had then come home, and showed his displeasure at her deed, yet
all was quiet. Thured gave Bolli, her cousin, the sword Footbiter, for
she loved him in no way less than her brothers. Bolli bore th