Kari

“ On the grass plot is a hearth with a smouldering fire. Some rocks covered with skins serve as seats. From the gorge comes the murmuring sound of the waterfall.
The stage is empty. A horn is heard, first a short call, then a longer.
Enter Kari and Arnes. They are weather-beaten, bareheaded, dressed in knitted jerkins and knitted knee-breeches. Their feet are bare in their shoes. Both have ram's horns hanging at their side. Kari carries a swan, Arnes a bunch of ptarmigans, some faggots, and a few tufts of bearberry.
Kari (looking into the hut) . Halla! No, she is not here. ”

“ I will leap after thee at once."
"It is bidden to every man," says Kari, "to seek to save his life while he has a choice, and I will do so now; but still this parting of ours will be in such wise that we shall never see one another more; for if I leap out of the fire, I shall have no mind to leap back into the fire to thee, and then each of us will have to fare his own way."
"It joys me, brother-in-law," says Skarphedinn, "to think that if thou gettest away thou wilt avenge me." ”

“ I fled and lived one year in the hills as an outlaw.
Halla. After this I shall never believe in any one. (Sits down and bursts into tears.)
Kari (kneeling) . Do with me what you will. Drive me out of your house—now—this evening, or give me into the hands of the law, but you must forgive me. It was our poverty and the snow that made me steal.
Halla (rising) . I will not cry. It is stupid to cry. Get up! I am no God that you should ask my forgiveness.
Kari (rising to his feet) . It is lonesome to live a whole winter up there in the hills. ”

“ Thence Kari rode to Mord, and told him the tidings, and he was greatly grieved.
Kari said there were other things more befitting a man than to weep for them dead, and bade him rather gather folk and come to Holtford.
After that he rode into Thurso-dale to Hjallti Skeggi's son, and as he went along Thurso water, he sees a man riding fast behind him. Kari waited for the man, and knows that he was Ingialld of the Springs. He sees that he is very bloody about the thigh; and Kari asked Ingialld who had wounded him, and he told him. ”

“ Kari. You shall not be worried by my whining. (Takes the fur socks down from the wall; sits down and unties the straps of his shoes. Halla watches him in silence, while he puts on one sock.)
Halla. Are you going?
Kari. Yes.
Halla. You don't ask my advice?
Kari. No, this time I don't ask it.
Halla (rising) . When you go out of that door, you need not think of me any more.
Kari. I know your voice when you are angry. You ought to thank me for going out in such weather.
Halla. Yes, you are brave. It is not that you have any hope of saving our lives. You will only lie down in the snow and die. ”

“ Then Rolf took his bow again, and the arrow flew; it fell less than a rood behind the arrows of Kari and Kolbein.
So it was proved that none there might help Rolf in his need. Then he was greatly cast down; and he wished to go away at once, but they detained him over night. No men could be kinder to him. And in the morning, when he was to start home, they offered him money, but he would take none. So Snorri gave him a cape, and Flosi a belt, and Kari gave a short sword, handsome and well made ”

“ So Bjorn watched the horses, but Kari lay him down, and slept but a very short while ere Bjorn waked him up again, and he had already led their horses together, and they were by their side. Then Bjorn said to Kari—
"Thou standest in much need of me, though! A man might easily have run away from thee if he had not been as brave-hearted as I am; for now thy foes are riding upon thee, and so thou must up and be doing." ”

“ Halla. I forbid you to go! It's inhuman to leave me here alone. If you ever come back, you will find me a mad beast.
Kari. Now you shall keep still. I will not listen to your whining any longer.
Halla. You are like all the rest. When your will is set, you have no heart. (Sits down silently.)
Kari (fastens his foot-gear; ties a rope around his waist) . When I draw it tight enough, I don't feel that I am hungry. (Puts on a coat of heavy fur.) You must watch the fire and not let it go out. I'll bring you some more faggots from the wood-shed.
Halla (stands up; her voice is husky) . ”

“ In a few seconds both of us had turned over—I do not know how—and were lying on our faces, holding on to the cords that held the mattress to Kari's back, while he broke into a run.
Trees bent and broke, branches fell, and we could hear the monkeys stampeding from tree to tree, and flocks of birds, startled out of their [23] sleep, falling upon us, their wings beating our faces. We shouted to Kari to be calm, but he went on as if he were mad. We heard boars snorting, and running away, and strange-looking horned creatures leaping and bounding off in all directions. ”

“ Then they called Rolf to show his skill.
Flosi asked of Kari: "Thinkest thou the lad can shoot?"
"Slender is he," answered Kari, "but strong in the arms and back, and his eye is the eye of an eagle. Our young men will not find their task easy."
Rolf struck the apples, and then the sticks, and then the moving mark. Then they swung a hoop on the end of a pole, and Rolf sent his arrow through it, but most of the others failed.
Kari laughed. "Ye forget," quoth he, "that the lad shoots at birds and cannot afford to lose his arrows. Who among us hath had such training? ”

“ Then Kari smites at him, and the sword fell on his shoulder, and the stroke was so mighty that he cleft in twain shoulder, arm, and all, and Snowcolf got his death there and then. Gritgard hurled a spear at Kari, but Kari saw it and sprang up aloft, and the spear missed him. Just then Helgi and Grim came up both to meet Kari, and Helgi springs on Gritgard and thrusts his spear through him, and that was his death blow; after that they went round the whole ship on both boards, and then men begged for mercy. So they gave them all peace, but took all their goods. ”

“ When they had lived a long life together, they were thrown into direst need. Hunger drew near to the fine web that time had woven between them and would tear it asunder. Then they looked into each other's eyes, and together they walked out into the snowstorm to die.
Kari. It is every man's duty to keep alive as long as he can.
Halla (rising) . And why should it be, when life has become an agony to ourselves and of use to no one?
Kari. It is the law of God.
Halla. The storm writes many laws in the sand. (Sits down.) When my strength had given out, you could have left me in the snow. ”

“ Bedstemor was gratified, patted her on the back, and told her that she might come one day and drink coffee with her and see her wedding-cap.
Then she was introduced to old Kari, whom they passed on their way to Tante's favourite resting-place, an old black barn near a group of mountain-ashes. Kari was standing outside the great cowhouse; she looked at Katharine critically, seemed to approve of her, and said:
"She is nice looking, and strong too. She could do a good day's work in the fields. ”

“ Hall thanked them kindly for their gifts, and rode away with the greatest honour. He did not draw bridle till he came to Swinefell, and Flosi gave him a hearty welcome. Hall told Flosi all about his errand and the talk he had with Thorgeir, and also that Thorgeir would not take the atonement till Kari told him he would quarrel with him if he did not take it; but that Kari would take no atonement.
"There are few men like Kari," said Flosi, "and I would that my mind were shapen altogether like his." ”

“ The storm carries you until you drop from weariness, and then the snow comes and covers you up. (Staring before her with eyes wide open.)
Kari (is silent for a moment) . You are bitter, because of our sore plight. Many a time have I told myself that I have been the curse of your life. If you had never known me, you would now be living in peace and quiet. You could have ridden to church every Sunday, if you liked. You would have been the rich and comely widow with all the young men flocking about you. I dare say you have often been sorry that you fled with me to the hills. (Halla is silent.) ”

“ Flosi and his men turned up round the Waterfirther's booth, and then Thorgeir Craggeir said to Kari Solmund's son, "Look, yonder now is Eyjolf Bolverk's son, if thou hast a mind to pay him off for the ring."
"That I ween is not far from my mind," says Kari, and snatched a spear from a man, and hurled it at Eyjolf, and it struck him in the waist, and went through him, and Eyjolf then fell dead to earth. ”

“ I hope Halla has not become such a saint yet that one can't notice her freckles.
Enter Kari and Magnus.
Kari and Magnus. Good evening!
Gudfinna and Oddny. Good evening!
Oddny (rising) . I am sitting on your bed, I believe.
Magnus (throws off his cap) . Oddny, ask Sigrid to come here and pull off my stockings. (Sits down.) It feels good to sit down. Oddny goes reluctantly.
Kari. Why is she so grumpy? She is not so cheerful a body as you are. I should like to have known you in your young days. I dare say you knew how to handle a rake.
Gudfinna (straightening her back) . You may be sure. ”

“ Horse and sheep and swan and dove.
Then we'll rest, we two, for night is calling.
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Darkness spreads o'er many a woe,
Sore hearts, broken pledges.
Meadows green laid waste I saw,
Scythe of sand the field did mow,
Death calls from the glacier's cruel ledges.
Are you asleep? (She rises slowly, lays the child on the skin, and covers her up, then sits down to her work.)
Enter Kari, his hair wet from the bath.
Kari. Do you know what I have a mind to do?
Halla. You must not speak too loud. Tota is asleep. (Kari goes to the left.) Where are you going?
Kari. I'll be right back. ”

“ At the best she was blinded, and where she lay in her darkness no man might come because of the superstitions of these folk. Even if Kari became Inca, it would not help me or her, should she still live, since he was the fiercest bigot of them all and swore that he would kill me, his friend, rather than that I should touch her, the vowed to his false gods. ”

“ After that they rode east on the fell, and did not stop before they came to Skaptartongue, and so rode down along Skaptarwater, and baited their horses just where Kari had thought they would. Then they split their band. Kettle of the Mark rode east into Middleland, and eight men with him, but the others laid them down to sleep, and were not ware of aught until Kari and Bjorn came up to them. A little ness ran out there into the river; into it Kari went and took his stand, and bade Bjorn stand back to back with him, and not to put himself too forward, "but give me all the help thou canst." ”

“ Exit Magnus with the bag.
Halla. Will you not sit down? I'll go and find you a bite to eat. Exit.
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Arnes (following her with his eyes) . That woman has a kind heart. (Sits down.) How long have you been working here on the farm?
Kari. This is my second year.
Arnes. And overseer already? Yes, some folks have luck. (Leans toward him.) As you may know, I haven't a very good name. I can't settle down very long at any one place, and it comes hard for me to be anybody's servant. You must surely have heard me spoken of as a thief?
Kari. People will say so many things. ”

“ Then Thorgeir said, "The better things go for them, the worse it shall be for them; we will only follow them up so much the harder."
Kari told Thorgeir of Gizur's advice. After that they ride from the east to Rangrivervale to Mord Valgard's son's house. He gave them a hearty welcome. Kari told him the message of Gizur his father-in-law. He was slow to take the duty on him, and said it was harder to go to law with Flosi than with any other ten men.
"Thou behavest now as he (2) thought," said Kari; "for thou art a bad bargain in every way ”

“ So Flosi was made Earl Sigurd's henchman, and he soon won his way to great love with the Earl.
CHAPTER CLIII. KARI GOES ABROAD.
Those messmates Kari and Kolbein the black put out to sea from Eyrar half a month later than Flosi and his companions from Hornfirth.
They got a fine fair wind, and were but a short time out. The first land they made was the Fair Isle; it lies between Shetland and the Orkneys. There that man whose name was David the white took Kari into his house, and he told him all that he had heard for certain about the doings of the Burners. ”

“ Rain has been so scarce that we have no water with which to put the fire out, if the Gaard should be struck by lightning. There has not been such a dry season for years."
Old Kari paused a moment on her way to the house, where Bedstefar lay in sublime unconsciousness of life, the things of this world, and the bustling preparations which were being carried on for his funeral feast. He lay there decorated with scented geranium-leaves. The entrance-door of his resting-place was guarded by two young fir-trees, which Karl had cut down from the woods above. ”

“ We'll hide the swan and say that we've come home empty-handed. (Takes the swan.) Hand me the ptarmigans. (Hides them behind the hut.) Now I wish Halla would come soon. (Walks to the back and blows his horn.)
Halla (is heard answering) . Hello!
Kari. Here she comes.
Arnes. You are a happy mortal.
Kari. Yes, I am happy, and it is good to be here. We are free. We have enough to eat. We have sunshine, water, and shelter. What more do you want? (Arnes is silent.) I know you are brooding over something you don't want to tell me. You seem more gloomy every day. Are you longing to get away from here? ”