Olaf the Glorious | Page 7

in exchange for a white goat.
Then, being companions in our misfortune, Thorgils and I swore foster
brotherhood, and we took an oath in handshaking that when we grew

strong enough we would go out upon the sea and take vengeance upon
the man who had slain old faithful Thoralf."
Sigurd pointed outward to the ship that was afar off upon the dim
horizon.
"Jarl Klerkon, of whom you speak," said he, "is now upon yonder
ship."
"And well do I know it," returned Olaf. "Today when I stood upon the
vessel's gangplank I saw him standing on the lypting; and I knew him
by the token that his nose was flat against his face. I had a mind to
throw one of my knives at him, but there were over many of his men
around, who would soon have overpowered me had I been so rash. And
now," the boy added, as he glanced up at the darkening sky, "it is time
that I go back to the hills to gather my master's sheep into the fold, for
the night will be dark, and wolves will be about. Too long already have
I tarried here."
And before Sigurd could put out his hand to detain him Olaf had
bounded up the rocks, and was soon lost to sight.

CHAPTER II
: SIGURD ERIKSON.
On the next morning, as the red sun rose above the mist capped hills of
Rathsdale, Olaf was at work among his master's swine, cleaning out the
styes and filling them with new straw. As he worked he asked himself
who the tall man could be who had spoken with him last night upon the
beach, and he began to regret that he had told so much, believing now
that the stranger might be an enemy--perhaps even a spy of the wicked
Queen Gunnhild, who had so often sought to add to her own security
by clearing her path of all who had power to dispute her rights.
Gunnhild was a very wily woman, and it might well be that she had
secretly discovered the abiding place of the young son of King Triggvi,
and that she had sent this man into Esthonia to entrap him.
"Never again shall I be so free in telling my story to a stranger," said
Olaf to himself. "Thorgils was wise to counsel me to keep secret my
kinship with Triggvi Olafson. When I am a man, and can fight my own
battles, then it will be time enough to lay claim to my father's realm;
and it may be that if I remain in thraldom till that time no one will

guess who I am. As a thrall, then, I must work, even though that work
be no better than the cleaning of my master's stables and pig styes--Get
back, you greedy grunter!"
This last command was addressed to a great bristly boar that brushed
past the boy and made its way to the bed of new straw. Olaf caught the
animal by its hind leg and struggled with it for a moment, until the boar
was thrown heavily on its side, squealing and kicking furiously. Then
three of the other pigs rushed forward, and one knocked against the lad
with such force that he fell on his knees. This made him very angry,
and he rose quickly to his feet and wrestled with the pigs, driving them
back with blows of his clenched hands. But the boar was not easily
turned. It stood stubbornly glaring at him with its small bloodshot eyes,
then suddenly charged at him with a savage roar. Olaf leapt up, but too
slowly, for his left foot was caught by the boar's high back, and he
rolled over in the mire. And now his wrath got the better of him, and he
leapt at the boar with a wild cry, seizing its ears in his two hands. Then
they struggled together for many minutes, now rolling over, now
breaking asunder and again returning to the charge. But at last Olaf
gained the mastery, and his adversary lay panting and exhausted on the
coveted straw. Olaf sat upon the animal's side with his bare foot upon
its snout. His arm was bleeding, and there was a long scratch upon his
cheek. But he did not heed his wounds, for he had conquered.
As he sat thus a shadow moved across the yellow straw. He raised his
eyes, and beheld the faces of two men, who looked down upon him
from over the barrier of the pig sty. One of the men was his master,
Reas. The other he quickly recognized as the tall man who had spoken
with him last night. Sigurd Erikson was seated on a beautiful white
horse, and he was arrayed as for