Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/280

slowly; and the Bersserker Hake of Hadeland had to keep his bed, on account of his wounds, all the autumn and beginning of winter. Now King Halfdan was in Hedemark at the Yule entertainments when he heard this news; and one morning early, when the king was dressed, he called to him Harek Gand, and told him to go over to .Hadeland, and bring him Eagnhild, Sigurd Hiort’s daughter. Harek got ready with a hundred men, and made his journey so that they came over the lake to Hake’s house in the grey of the morning, and beset all the doors and stairs of the places where the house-servants slept. Then they broke into the sleeping-room where Hake slept, took Eagnhild, with her brother Guttorm, and all the goods that were there, and set tire to the house-servants' place, and burnt all the people in it. Then they covered over a magnificent waggon, placed Eagnhild and Guttorm in it, and drove down upon the ice. Hake got up and went after them a while; but when he came to the ice on the lake, he turned his sword-hilt to the ground and let himself fall upon the point, so that the sword went through him. He was buried under a mound on the banks of the lake. When King; Halfdan, who was very quick of sight, saw the party returning over the frozen lake, and with a covered waggon, he knew that their errand was accomplished according to his desire. Thereupon he ordered the tables to be set out, and sent people all round in the neighbourhood to invite plenty of guests; and the same day there was a good feast which was also Halfdan’s marriage-feast with Eagnhild, who became a great queen. Eagnhild’s mother was Thyrni, a daughter of Harald Klak, king in Jutland, and a sister of Thyri Dannebod, who was married to the Danish king, Gorm the Old, who then ruled over the Danish dominions.