ife, Gudrid, motioned her with her hand to a seat beside her; but
it so happened, that at that very instant Gudrid heard a great crash,
whereupon the woman vanished, and at that same moment one of the
Skrellings, who had tried to seize their weapons, was killed by one of
Karlsefni's followers. At this the Skrellings fled precipitately, leaving
their garments and wares behind them; and not a soul, save Gudrid alone,
beheld this woman. "Now we must needs take counsel together," says
Karlsefni, "for that I believe they will visit us a third time, in great
numbers, and attack us. Let us now adopt this plan: ten of our number
shall go out upon the cape, and show themselves there, while the
remainder of our company shall go into the woods and hew a clearing for
our cattle, when the troop approaches from the forest. We will also take
our bull, and let him go in advance of us." The lie of the land was such
that the proposed meeting-place had the lake upon the one side, and the
forest upon the other. Karlsefni's advice was now carried into execution.
The Skrellings advanced to the spot which Karlsefni had selected for the
encounter, and a battle was fought there, in which great numbers of the
band of the Skrellings were slain. There was one man among the
Skrellings, of large size and fine bearing, whom Karlsefni concluded must
be their chief. One of the Skrellings picked up an axe, and having looked
at it for a time, he brandished it about one of his companions, and
hewed at him, and on the instant the man fell dead. Thereupon the big man
seized the axe, and after examining it for a moment, he hurled it as far
as he could, out into the sea; then they fled helter-skelter into the
woods, and thus their intercourse came to an end. Karlsefni and his party
remained there throughout the winter, but in the spring Karlsefni
announces, that he is not minded to remain there longer, but will return
to Greenland. They now made ready for the voyage, and carried away with
them much booty in vines and grapes, and peltries. They sailed out upon
the high seas, and brought their ship safely to Ericsfirth, where they
remained during the winter.

_Freydis causes the Brothers to be put to Death._--There was now much
talk anew, about a Wineland-voyage, for this was reckoned both a
profitable and an honorable enterprise. The same summer that Karlsefni
arrived from Wineland, a ship from Norway arrived in Greenland. This ship
was commanded by two brother