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farmhouse?
The boy said that Bergonund and Frodi would be drinking still; they sit at it every night.
Then tell them, said Egil, where the bear is; but I will hasten home.
So he went away; but the boy ran home to the farmhouse, and into the room where they were drinking.
All had gone to sleep save these three, Onund, Frodi, and Hadd. The boy told them where the bear
was. They took their weapons which hung there by them, and at once ran out and up to the wood.
From the main forest ran out a spur of wood with scattered bushes. The boy told them where the bear
had been in the bushes. Then they saw that the branches moved, whence they guessed that the bear
would be there. Then Bergonund advised that Hadd and Frodi should run forward between the shrubs
and the main forest, and stop the bear from gaining the wood. Bergonund ran forward to the bushes.
He had helm and shield, a sword at his girdle, a halberd in his hand. Egil was there before him in the
bushes, but no bear.
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And when he saw where Bergonund was, he unsheathed his sword, and, taking the coil of cord
attached to the hilt, would it round his arm, and so let the sword hang. In his hand he grasped his
halberd, and then ran forward to meet Bergonund. Which when Bergonund saw, he quickened his pace
and cast his shield before him, and ere they met each hurled his halberd at the other.
Egil opposed the halberd with shield held aslant, so that the halberd with a cut tore out of the shield
and flew into the ground. But Egil s weapon came full on the middle of the shield, and went right
through it far up the blade, and the weapon was fast in the shield. Onund s shield was thus
cumbersome. Then quickly did Egil grasp his sword-hilt. Onund also began to draw his sword; but ere
it was half drawn Egil pierced him with a thrust. Onund reeled at the blow; but Egil suddenly snatched
back his sword, and made a cut at Onund, well-nigh taking off his head. Then Egil took his halberd out
of the shield.
Now Hadd and Frodi saw Bergonund s fall, and ran thither. Egil turned to meet them. At Frodi he
threw his halberd, which, piercing the shield, went into his breast and out at his back. At once he fell
back dead. Then, taking his sword, Egil turned against Hadd, and they exchanged but few blows ere
Hadd fell. Just then the herd-boys chanced to come up. Egil said to them: Watch you here by Onund
your master and his friends, that no beast or bird tear their bodies.
Egil then went his way, and before long eleven of his comrades met him, six staying to watch the ship.
They asked him what success he had had. Whereupon he sang:
Long did we losers sit,
Losers through him who took
With greed the gold that once
To guard I better knew:
Till now Bergonund s bane
My blade with wounds hath wrought,
And hidden earth in veil
Of Hadd s and Frodi s blood.
Then Egil said: We will now turn back to the farm, and act in warlike-wise, slaying all the men we
can, and taking all the booty we can come by.
They went to the farm, rushed into the house, and slew there fifteen or sixteen men. Some escaped by
running away. They plundered the place, destroying what they could not take with them. The cattle
they drove to the shore and slaughtered, putting on board as much as the boat would hold; then they
rowed out by the sound between the islands. Egil was now furious, so that there was no speaking with
him. He sat at the boat s helm.
And when they got further out in the firth towards Herdla, then came rowing out towards them
Rognvald the king s son with twelve more on the painted pinnace. They had now learnt that Egil s
ship lay in Herdla-water, and they meant to take to Onund news of Egil s whereabouts. And when Egil
saw the boat, he knew it at once. Straight for it he steered; and when the boats came together, the beak
of the cutter struck the side of the pinnace s bow, which so heeled over that the water poured in on one
side and the boat filled. Egil leapt aboard, grasping his halberd, and cried to his men to let no one in
the pinnace escape with life. This was easy, for there was no defence. All were slain as they swam,
none escaped. Thirteen there perished, Rognvald and his comrades. Then Egil and his men rowed to
Herdla island, and Egil sang a stave:
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I fought, nor feared vengeance;
Falchion there reddened
Blood of son of Bloodaxe,
Bold king, and his queen.
Perish d on one pinnace
Prince with twelve his liege-men,
Such stress of stern battle
Against them I stirred.
And when Egil and his men came to Herdla, at once fully armed they ran up to the farm buildings. But
when Thorir and his household saw that, they at once ran away and saved themselves, all that could
go, men and women. Egil s party plundered the place of all they could lay hands on; then they rowed
out to their ship. Nor had they long to wait ere a breeze blew off the land. They made ready to sail.
And when all was ready for sailing, Egil went up into the island. He took in his hand a hazel-pole, and
went to a rocky eminence that looked inward to the mainland. Then he took a horse s head and fixed it
on the pole. After that, in solemn form of curse, he thus spake: Here set I up a curse-pole, and this
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