“ Cormac took up Bersi's target and cut at it, and sparks flew out.
Then a hide was taken and spread for them to stand on. Bersi spoke and said, “Thou, Cormac, hast challenged me to the holmgang; instead of that, I offer thee to fight in simple sword-play. Thou art a young man and little tried; the holmgang needs craft and cunning, but sword-play, man to man, is an easy game.” ”

“ That half-witted hero should get him A heart made of clay for his carcase, Though the mate of the may with the necklace Is more of a fool than his fere!”
“Now,” said Cormac, “I bid Thorvard anew to the holmgang, if he can be called in his right mind. Let him be every man's nithing if he come not!” ”

“ In the end Odd fell, and Gudmund was so wounded that he died afterwards. Thorkel saw to them, and Cormac went home.
A little after this Cormac went to Thorveig and said he would have her no longer live there at the firth. “Thou shalt flit and go thy way at such a time,” said he, “and I will give no blood-money for thy sons.”
Thorveig answered, “It is like enough ye can hunt me out of the countryside, and leave my sons unatoned. But this way I'll reward thee. Never shalt thou have Steingerd.” ”

“ Hold the edge toward thee, and blow on it. Then will a little worm creep from under the hilt. Then slope thou the sword over, and make it easy for that worm to creep back beneath the hilt.”
“Here's a tale of tricks, thou warlock!” cried Cormac
“Nevertheless,” answered Skeggi, “it will stand thee in good stead to know them.” ”

“ Now the leader of those Vikings was Thorstein, the son of that Asmund Ashenside, the old enemy of Ogmund, the father of Cormac and Thorgils.
So Thorvald and Cormac met, and Cormac asked how came it that his voyage had been so unlucky.
“Things have not turned out for the best, indeed,” said he.
“What is the matter?” asked Cormac. “Is Steingerd missing?”
“She is gone,” said Thorvald, “and all our goods.”
“Why don't you go after her?” asked Cormac.
“We are not strong enough,” said Thorvald. ”

“ Yet beside thee he snugs on the settle As thou seamest thy broidery,—that rhymester! And the shame of it whelms me in sorrow, O Steingerd!—that rascal unslain!”
And then Cormac prayed Steingerd that she would go with him: but Nay, she said; she would have her own way about men. So they parted, and both were ill pleased.
Thorvard was taken home, and she bound his wounds. Cormac was now always meeting with Steingerd. Thorvard healed but slowly; and when he could get on his feet he went to see Thordis, and asked her what was best to help his healing. ”

“ At Spakonufell (Spae-wife's-fell) lived Thordis the spae-wife, of whom we have told before, with her husband Thorolf. They were both at the Thing, and many a man thought her good-will was of much avail. So Thorvard sought her out, to ask her help against Cormac, and gave her a fee; and she made him ready for the holmgang according to her craft.
Now Cormac told his mother what was forward, and she asked if he thought good would come of it.
“Why not?” said he.
“That will not be enough for thee,” said Dalla. “Thorvard will never make bold to fight without witchcraft to help him. ”

“ Now Thordis let her brother Vali feed his herds on the land of Brekka. Bersi bade his house-carles work at home, and have no dealings with Vali; but still Halldor thought it a hardship that Bersi had not his own will with his own wealth. One day Bersi made this verse:—
(47) “Here we lie, Both on one settle— Halldor and I, Men of no mettle. Youth ails thee, But thou'lt win through it; Age ails me, And I must rue it!” ”

“ There was a woman called Thordis—and a shrew she was—who lived at Spakonufell (Spaequean's-fell) , in Skagastrand. She, having foresight of Cormac's goings, came that very day to Muli, and answered this matter on his behalf, saying, “Never give him yon false woman. She is a fool, and not fit for any pretty man. Woe will his mother be at such a fate for her lad!” ”

“ Not far away, at Tunga (Tongue) in Bitra, lived a man called Odd. His daughter was named Steinvor, a pretty girl and well set up; her by-name was Slim-ankles. Living with Odd were many fisherman; among them, staying there for the fishing-season, was one Glum, an ill-tempered carle and bad to deal with.
Now once upon a time these two, Odd and Glum, were in talk together which were the greatest men in the countryside. Glum reckoned Thorarin to be foremost, but Odd said Holmgang Bersi was better than he in every way. ”

“ After these things the brothers turned back to Norway, and Thorvald the Tinker made his way to Iceland. But the brothers went warfaring round about Ireland, Wales, England and Scotland, and they were reckoned to be the most famous of men. It was they who first built the castle of Scarborough; they made raids into Scotland, and achieved many great feats, and led a mighty host; and in all that host none was like Cormac in strength and courage.
Once upon a time, after a battle, Cormac was driving the flying foe before him while the rest of his host had gone back aboard ship. ”

“ Go, snuffle, most wretched of men, thou! A thrust of thy sword is as thewless As thou, silly stirrer of battle. What danger to me from thy daring, Thou doited old witch-woman's carle?”
Then he killed a bull in sacrifice according to use and wont, saying, “Ill we brook your overbearing and the witchcraft of Thordis:” and he made this song:—
(74) “The witch in the wave of the offering Has wasted the flame of the buckler, Lest its bite on his back should be deadly At the bringing together of weapons. My sword was not sharp for the onset When I sought the helm-wearer in battle ”

“ So he went to see Olaf, and asked for a child to foster. Olaf took it with thanks, and Bersi carried Halldor home with him and got Steinvor to be nurse. This too misliked Thordis, and she laid hands on every penny she could get (for fear it should go to Steinvor and the foster-child) .
At last Bersi took to ageing much. There was one time when men riding to the Thing stayed at his house. He sat all by himself, and his food was brought him before the rest were served. ”

“ Now it was a belief of theirs that as the measuring went, so would the luck go: if the measuring-wand seemed to grow less when they tried it again and again, so would that house's luck grow less: and if it grew greater, so would the luck be. This time the measure always grew less, though they tried it three times over.
So Ogmund built him a house on the sandhills, and lived there ever after. He married Dalla, the daughter of Onund the Seer, and their sons were Thorgils and Cormac. ”

“ Nay, scarce can I smile, O thou glittering In silk like the goddess of Baldur, Since thy father handfasted and pledged thee, So famed as thou art, to a coward.”
“In such words,” answered Steingerd, “an ill will is plain to hear. I shall tell Thorvald of this ribaldry: no man would sit still under such insults.”
Then sang Cormac:—
(51) “What gain is to get if he threatens, White goddess in raiment of beauty, The scorn that the Skidings may bear me? I'll set them a weft for their weaving! I'll rhyme you the roystering caitiffs Till rocks go afloat on the water ”

“ But the blood is the blood of a goose— What boots it if two should be slaughtered?— Never sacrifice geese for a Skald Who sings for the glory of Odin!”
So they went to the holmgang: but Thorvald gave the spae-wife a still greater fee, and offered the sacrifice of geese; and Cormac said:—
(68) “Trust never another man's mistress! For I know, on this woman who weareth The fire of the field of the sea-king The fiends have been riding to revel. ”

“ Now as they were all sailing in close order through a narrow sound, Cormac swung his steering-oar and hit Thorvald a clout on the ear, so that he fell from his place at the helm in a swoon; and Cormac's ship hove to, when she lost her rudder. Steingerd had been sitting beside Thorvald; she laid hold of the tiller, and ran Cormac down. When he saw what she was doing, he sang:—
(78) “There is one that is nearer and nigher To the noblest of dames than her lover: With the haft of the helm is he smitten On the hat-block—and fairly amidships! ”

“ His farm was named Vali's stead, and it stood on the way to Hrutafiord.
Now Thorveig the spaewife went to see Holmgang Bersi and told him her trouble. She said that Cormac forbade her staying in Midfiord: so Bersi bought land for her west of the firth, and she lived there for a long time afterwards.
Once when Thorkel at Tunga and his son were talking about Cormac's breach of faith and deemed that it should be avenged, Narfi said, “I see a plan that will do. Let us go to the west-country with plenty of goods and gear, and come to Bersi in Saurbae. He is wifeless. ”

“ He had porridge while other folk had cheese and curds. Then he made this verse:—
(46) “To batten the black-feathered wound-bird With the blade of my axe have I stricken Full thirty and five of my foemen; I am famed for the slaughter of warriors. May the fiends have my soul if I stain not My sharp-edged falchion once over! And then let the breaker of broadswords Be borne—and with speed—to the grave!”
“What?” said Halldor; “hast thou a mind to kill another man, then?”
Answered Bersi, “I see the man it would rightly serve!” ”

“ But the blade that I borrowed, O Skeggi, Was borne in the clashing of edges. (34) I had deemed, O thou Grey of fighting, Of the fierce song of Odin,—my neighbour, I had deemed that a brand meet for bloodshed I bare to the crossways of slaughter. Nay,—thy glaive, it would gape not nor ravin Against him, the rover who robbed me: And on her, as the surge on the shingle, My soul beats and breaks evermore.”
CHAPTER TWELVE. Bersi's Bad Luck At The Thor's-Ness Thing.
In the winter, sports were held at Saurbae. Bersi's lad, Asmund, was there, and likewise the sons of Thord ”

“ He had been married to Finna the Fair: but she was dead: Asmund was their son, young in years and early ripe. Helga was the sister of Bersi: she was unmarried, but a fine woman and a pushing one, and she kept house for Bersi after Finna died.
At the farm called Muli (the Mull) lived Thord Arndisarson: he was wedded to Thordis, sister of Bork the Stout. They had two sons who were both younger than Asmund the son of Bersi.
There was also a man with Vali. ”

“ Cormac said he would away and bide for no man. He leapt on his horse forthwith, and galloped as hard as he could. Thorgils made haste to gather men,—they were eighteen in all,—and came up with Cormac on the hause that leads to Hrutafiord, for he had foundered his horse. So they turned to Thorveig the spaewife's farmsteading, and found that Bersi was gone aboard her boat.
She had said to Bersi, “I wish thee to take a little gift from me, and good luck follow it.”
This was a target bound with iron ”

“ On the boat she makes glad in its gliding She is gone from me, reft from me, ravished! O shame, that we linger to save her, Too sweet for the prey of the raven!
They took their horses and rode round the head of the firth. They met Vali and asked about Bersi; he said that Bersi had come to Muli and gathered men to him,—“A many men.”
“Then we are too late,” said Cormac, “if they have got men together.”
Thorgils begged Cormac to let them turn back, saying there was little honour to be got; but Cormac said he must see Steingerd. ”

“ The one who was wounded should pay three marks of silver to be set free.
So the hide was taken and spread under their feet. Thorgils held his brother's shield, and Thord Arndisarson that of Bersi. Bersi struck the first blow, and cleft Cormac's shield; Cormac struck at Bersi to the like peril. Each of them cut up and spoilt three shields of the other's. Then it was Cormac's turn. He struck at Bersi, who parried with Whitting. Skofnung cut the point off Whitting in front of the ridge. The sword-point flew upon Cormac's hand, and he was wounded in the thumb. ”

“ On the day fixed, Thord and Steinar went out of the tent, and Cormac also came to the meeting to hold the shield of Steinar. Olaf Peacock got men to help Bersi at the fight, for Thord had been used to hold his shield, but this time failed him. So Bersi went to the trysting-place with a shield-bearer who is not named in the story, and with the round target that once had belonged to Thorveig.
Each man was allowed three shields. Bersi cut up two, and then Cormac took the third. Bersi hacked away, but Whitting his sword stuck fast in the iron border of Steinar's shield. ”

“ Steinar went home, and Cormac fared to Mel.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN. Steingerd Leaves Bersi.
Next it is told of Bersi. His wound healed but slowly. Once on a time a many folk were met to talk about that meeting and what came of it, and Bersi made this song:—
(42) “Thou didst leave me forlorn to the sword-stroke, Strong lord of the field of the serpent! And needy and fallen ye find me, Since my foeman ye shielded from danger. Thus cunning and counsel are victors, When the craft of the spear-shaft avails not; But this, as I think, is the ending, O Thord, of our friendship for ever!” ”

“ CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX. How Cormac Saved Steingerd Once More From Pirates
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN. The Swan-Songs of Cormac.
CHAPTER ONE. Cormac's Fore-Elders.
Harald Fairhair was king of Norway when this tale begins. There was a chief in the kingdom in those days and his name was Cormac; one of the Vik-folk by kindred, a great man of high birth. He was the mightiest of champions, and had been with King Harald in many battles.
He had a son called Ogmund, a very hopeful lad; big and sturdy even as a child ”