cried out to King Olaf to appease the gods; that Thor was angry and had sent his thunders and that Njord was angry and would not curb the wild sea, when the Yotun, Aeger, lashed the waters into fury. They prayed to Olaf to promise a sacrifice to Njord that he might quiet the strong sea.”
“And what did Olaf, our Christian king?” asked Aastrid anxiously.
“The Saxon Bishop Sigurd was with the king and Father Reachta. These three stood together in the prow of the ship. ‘Bring hither the blessed water and the blessed candles and the great crucifix,’ said the bishop. I helped the priest to carry them. Bishop Sigurd lifted the tall crucifix and lighted the candles around it. Though the wind had a giant’s force, the candles never flickered. Then the bishop scattered the blessed water over the raging tide. All about the ‘Crane’ the waves lay down as if asleep; and the wind grew faint and hushed as a sweet zephyr of the summer. Beyond the ‘Crane’ the storm roared and the sea rose up like a lofty mountain of water and the heavens were black. In the calm around them, the oarsmen moved swiftly to the little island where Raud on his great dragon ship was anchored. He and his wild crew were overcome and exterminated; and King Olaf comes back to Nidaros, having rid his kingdom of the wicked Raud; and meekly following the ‘Crane’ is the ter-
