him。　　〃Halt　here；　and　get　out　your　arms；〃　said　Olaf；　and　had　not　to　wait　long　till　Erling　came　bounding　in；　past　the　rocky　promontory；　and　with　astonishment　beheld　Olaf's　fleet　of　twelve　with　their　battle…axes　and　their　grappling…irons　all　in　perfect　readiness。　These　fell　on　him；　the　unready　Erling；　simultaneous；　like　a　cluster　of　angry　bees；　and　in　a　few　minutes　cleared　his　ship　of　men　altogether；　except　Erling　himself。　　Nobody　asked　his　life；　nor　probably　would　have　got　it　if　he　had。　　Only　Erling　still　stood　erect　on　a　high　place　on　the　poop；　fiercely　defensive；　and　very　difficult　to　get　at。　　〃Could　not　be　reached　at　all；〃　says　Snorro；　〃except　by　spears　or　arrows；　and　these　he　warded　off　with　untiring　dexterity；　no　man　in　Norway；　it　was　said；　had　ever　defended　himself　so　long　alone　against　many；〃an　almost　invincible　Erling；　had　his　cause　been　good。　　Olaf　himself　noticed　Erling's　behavior；　and　said　to　him；　from　the　foredeck　below；　〃Thou　hast　turned　against　me　to…day；　Erling。〃　　〃The　eagles　fight　breast　to　breast；〃　answers　he。　　This　was　a　speech　of　the　king's　to　Erling　once　long　ago；　while　they　stood　fighting；　not　as　now；　but　side　by　side。　　The　king；　with　some　transient　thought　of　possibility　going　through　his　head；　rejoins；　〃Wilt　thou　surrender；　Erling？〃　　〃That　will　I；〃　answered　he；　took　the　helmet　off　his　head；　laid　down　sword　and　shield；　and　went　forward　to　the　forecastle　deck。　　The　king　pricked；　I　think　not　very　harshly；　into　Erling's　chin　or　beard　with　the　point　of　his　battle…axe；　saying；　〃I　must　mark　thee　as　traitor　to　thy　Sovereign；　though。〃　　Whereupon　one　of　the　bystanders；　Aslak　Fitiaskalle；　stupidly　and　fiercely　burst　up；　smote　Erling　on　the　head　with　his　axe；　so　that　it　struck　fast　in　his　brain　and　was　instantly　the　death　of　Erling。　〃Ill…luck　attend　thee　for　that　stroke；　thou　hast　struck　Norway　out　of　my　hand　by　it！〃　cried　the　king　to　Aslak；　but　forgave　the　poor　fellow；　who　had　done　it　meaning　well。　　The　insurrectionary　Bonder　fleet　arriving　soon　after；　as　if　for　certain　victory；　was　struck　with　astonishment　at　this　Erling　catastrophe；　and　being　now　without　any　leader　of　authority；　made　not　the　least　attempt　at　battle；　but；　full　of　discouragement　and　consternation；　thankfully　allowed　Olaf　to　sail　away　on　his　northward　voyage；　at　discretion；　and　themselves　went　off　lamenting；　with　Erling's　dead　body。
  This　small　victory　was　the　last　that　Olaf　had　over　his　many　enemies　at　present。　　He　sailed　along；　still　northward；　day　after　day；　several　important　people　joined　him；　but　the　news　from　landward　grew　daily　more　ominous：　　Bonders　busily　arming　to　rear　of　him；　and　ahead；　Hakon　still　more　busily　at　Trondhjem；　now　near　by；　〃and　he　will　end　thy　days；　King；　if　he　have　strength　enough！〃　　Olaf　paused；　sent　scouts　to　a　hill…top：　　〃Hakon's　armament　visible　enough；　and　under　way　hitherward；　about　the　Isle　of　Bjarno；　yonder！〃　　Soon　after；　Olaf　himself　saw　the　Bonder　armament　of　twenty…five　ships；　from　the　southward；　sail　past　in　the　distance　to　join　that　of　Hakon；　and；　worse　still；　his　own　ships；　one　and　another　（seven　in　all）；　were　slipping　off　on　a　like　errand！　　He　made　for　the　Fjord　of　Fodrar；　mouth　of　the　rugged　strath　called　Valdal；which　I　think　still　knows　Olaf　and　has　now　an　〃Olaf's　Highway；〃　where；　nine　centuries　ago；　it　scarcely　had　a　path。　　Olaf　entered　this　fjord；　had　his　land…tent　set　up；　and　a　cross　beside　it；　on　the　small　level　green　behind　the　promontory　there。　Finding　that　his　twelve　poor　ships　were　now　reduced　to　five；　against　a　world　all　risen　upon　him；　he　could　not　but　see　and　admit　to　himself　that　there　was　no　chance　left；　and　that　he　must　withdraw　across　the　mountains　and　wait　for　a　better　time。
  His　journey　through　that　wild　country；　in　these　forlorn　and　straitened　circumstances；　has　a　mournful　dignity　and　homely　pathos；　as　described　by　Snorro：　　how　he　drew　up　his　five　poor　ships　upon　the　beach；　packed　all　their　furniture　away；　and　with　his　hundred　or　so　of　attendants　and　their　journey…baggage；　under　guidance　of　some　friendly　Bonder；　rode　up　into　the　desert　and　foot　of　the　mountains；　scaled；　after　three　days'　effort　（as　if　by　miracle；　thought　his　attendants　and　thought　Snorro）；　the　well…nigh　precipitous　slope　that　led　across；　never　without　miraculous　aid　from　Heaven　and　Olaf　could　baggage…wagons　have　ascended　that　path！　　In　short；　How　he　fared　along；　beset　by　difficulties　and　the　mournfulest　thoughts；　but　patiently　persisted；　steadfastly　trusted　in　God；　and　was　fixed　to　return；　and　by　God's　help　try　again。　　An　evidently　very　pious　and　devout　man；　a　good　man　struggling　with　adversity；　such　as　the　gods；　we　may　still　imagine　with　the　ancients；　do　look　down　upon　as　their　noblest　sight。
  He　got　to　Sweden；　to　the　court　of　his　brother…in…law；　kindly　and　nobly　enough　received　there；　though　gradually；　perhaps；　ill…seen　by　the　now　authorities　of　Norway。　　So　that；　before　long；　he　quitted　Sweden；　left　his　queen　there　with　her　only　daughter；　his　and　hers；　the　only　child　they　had；　he　himself　had　an　only　son；　〃by　a　bondwoman；〃　Magnus　by　name；　who　came　to　great　things　afterwards；　of　whom；　and　of　which；　by　and　by。　　With　this　bright　little　boy；　and　a　selected　escort　of　attendants；　he　moved　away　to　Russia；　to　King　Jarroslav；　where　he　might　wait　secure　against　all　risk　of　hurting　kind　friends　by　his　presence。　He　seems　to　have　been　an　exile　altogether　some　two　years；such　is　one's　vague　notion；　for　there　is　no　chronology　in　Snorro　or　his　Sagas；　and　one　is　reduced　to　guessing　and　inferring。　　He　had　reigned　over　Norway；　reckoning　from　the　first　days　of　his　landing　there　to　those　last　of　his　leaving　it　across　the　Dovrefjeld；　about　fifteen　years；　ten　of　them　shiningly　victorious。
  The　news　from　Norway　were　naturally　agitating　to　King　Olaf　and；　in　the　fluctuation　of　events　there；　his　purposes　and　prospects　varied　much。　He　sometimes　thought　of　pilgriming　to　Jerusalem；　and　a　henceforth　exclusively　religious　life；　but　for　most　part　his　pious　thoughts　themselves　gravitated　towards　Norway；　and　a　stroke　for　his　old　place　and　task　there；　which　he　steadily　considered　to　have　been　committed　to　him　by　God。　　Norway；　by　the　rumors；　was　evidently　not　at　rest。　　Jarl　Hakon；　under　the　high　patronage　of　his　uncle；　had　lasted　there　but　a　little　while。　　I　know　not　that　his　government　was　especially　unpopular；　nor　whether　he　himself　much　remembered　his　broken　oath。　　It　appears；　however；　he　had　left　in　England　a　beautiful　bride；　and　considering　farther　that　in　England　only　could　bridal　ornaments　and　other　wedding　outfit　of　a　sufficiently　royal　kind　be　found；　he　set　sail　thither；　to　fetch　her　and　them　himself。　　One　evening　of　wildish…looking　weather　he　was　seen　about　the　northeast　corner　of　the　Pentland　Frith；　the　night　rose　to　be　tempestuous；　Hakon　or　any　timber　of　his　fleet　was　never　seen　more。　　Had　all　gone　down；broken　oaths；　bridal　hopes；　and　all　else；　mouse　and　man；into　the　roaring　waters。　There　was　no　farther　Opposition…line；　the　like　of　which　had　lasted　ever　since　old　heathen　Hakon　Jarl；　down　to　this　his　grandson　Hakon's　_finis_　in　the　Pentland　Frith。　　With　this　Hakon's　disappearance　it　now　disappeared。
  Indeed　Knut　himself；　though　of　an　empire　suddenly　so　great；　was　but　a　temporary　phenomenon。　　Fate　had　decided　that　the　grand　and　wise　Knut　was　to　be　short…lived；　and　to　leave　nothing　as　successors　but　an　ineffectual　young　Harald　Harefoot；　who　soon　perished；　and　a　still　stupider　fiercely…drinking　Harda…Knut；　who　rushed　down　of　apoplexy　（here　in　London　City；　as　I　guess）；　with　the　goblet　at　his　mouth；　drinking　health　and　happiness　at　a　wedding…feast；　also　before　long。
  Hakon　having　vanished　in　this　dark　way；　there　ensued　a　pause；　both　on　Knut's　part　and　on　Norway's。　　Pause　or　interregnum　of　some　months；　till　it　became　certain；　first；　whether　Hakon　were　actually　dead；　secondly；　till　Norway；　and　especially　till　King　Knut　himself；　could　decide　what　to　do。　　Knut；　to　the　deep　disappointment；　which　had　to　keep　itself　silent；　of　three　or　four　chief　Norway　men；　named　none　of　these　three　or　four　Jarl　of　Norway；　but　bethought　him　of　a　certain　Svein；　a　bastard　son　of　his　own；who；　and　almost　still　more　his　English　mother；　much　desired　a　career　in　the　world　fitter　for　him；　thought　they　indignantly；　than　that　of　captain　over　Jomsburg；　where　alone　the　father　had　been　able　to　provide　for　him　hitherto。　　Svein　was　sent　to　Norway　as　king　or　vice…king　for　Father　Knut；　and　along　with　him　his　fond　and　vehement　mother。　　Neither　of　whom　gained　any　favor　from　the　Norse　people　by　the　kind　of　management　they　ultimately　came　to　show。
  Olaf　on　news　of　this　change；　and　such　uncertainty　prevailing　everywhere　in　Norway　as　to　the　future　course　of　things；　whether　Svein　would　come；　as　was　rumored　of　at　last；　and　be　able　to　maintain　himself　if　he　did；thought　there　might　be　something　in　it　of　a　chance　for　himself　and　his　rights。　　And；　after　lengthened　hesitation；　much　prayer；　pious　invocation；　and　consideration；　decided　to　go　and　try　it。　The　final　grain　that　had　turned　the　balance；　it　appears；　was　a　half…waking　morning　dream；　or　almost　ocular　vision　he　had　of　his　glorious　cousin　Olaf　Tryggveson；　who　severely　admonished；　exhorted；　and　encouraged　him；　and　disappeared　grandly；　just　in　the　instant　of　Olaf's　awakening；　so　that　Olaf　almost　fancied　he　had　seen　the　very　figure　of　him；　as　it　melted