he turn of our concerns hangs
altogether on our believing Him to be the true God in whom the king
bids us to believe, and the king cannot by any means be more eager in
wishing that I take this faith than I am to let myself be baptized.
The only thing that puts off my going straightway to see the king now
is that the day is far spent, and the king, I take it, is now at
table; but that day will be delayed, on which we, companions, will let
ourselves all be baptized." Bolli took to this kindly, and bade
Kjartan alone look to their affairs. The king had heard of the talk
between Kjartan and his people before the tables were cleared away,
for he had his spies in every chamber of the heathens. The king was
very glad at this, and said, "In Kjartan has come true the saw: 'High
tides best for happy signs.'" [Sidenote: Kjartan and his men become
Christians] And the first thing the next morning early, when the king
went to church, Kjartan met him in the street with a great company of
men. Kjartan greeted the king with great cheerfulness, and said he had
a pressing errand with him. The king took his greeting well, and said
he had had a thoroughly clear news as to what his errand must be, "and
that matter will be easily settled by you." Kjartan begged they should
not delay fetching the water, and said that a great deal would be
needed. The king answered and smiled. "Yes, Kjartan," says he, "on
this matter I do not think your eager-mindedness would part us, not
even if you put the price higher still." After that Kjartan and Bolli
were baptized and all their crew, and a multitude of other men as
well. This was on the second day of Yule before Holy Service. After
that the king invited Kjartan to his Yule feast with Bolli his
kinsman. It is the tale of most men that Kjartan on the day he laid
aside his white baptismal-robes became a liegeman of the king's, he
and Bolli both. Hallfred was not baptized that day, for he made it a
point that the king himself should be his godfather, so the king put
it off till the next day. Kjartan and Bolli stayed with Olaf the king
the rest of the winter. [Sidenote: Kalf wishes to leave Norway] The
king held Kjartan before all other men for the sake of his race and
manly prowess, and it is by all people said that Kjartan was so
winsome that he had not a single enemy within the court. Every one
said that there had never before come from Iceland such a man as
Kjartan. Bolli was also one of the most stalwart