The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-11-09
McGREGoR, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 8, 1864.
to his high seat and babe all the champions
to take their places. Then he said:

to his high seat and babe all the champions
to take their places. Then he said:
Bring US drink, that we may be righ
joyful, and show what men we be! Bear
message to King Hjorvard and to Skulda
and to their knights, that Irolf Krake and
his champions are having a toast before
they receive the skat which is due.
This was done as the King commanded
and Skulda said:
Surely the like Of King fIrolf my broth
er is not to be seen he is tn. very greatest
Of men y
Now Hrolr sprang out Of the high seat
ana the rest followed him; but the king
went immediately after his banner, and they
came out OF the hall. Then the fight be.
gan. There might one see great blows
struck OF helm and corselet-many sword
and spear glittered in the air and so many
corpses fell that the ground was hidden
Hjrlti. the wise of head, cried:
"Many breastplates are now slit, and
many good weapons spoiled, and many
helmets are cleft, and many knights are
overthrown. Our King is Of good heart
for now is he CAD As though he were drink.
ing ale as fast as he might, and he sIays
fighting with both hands. lie has the
fslrength of twelve kings trow, and Hjar.
ward may mark how the good sword
Skonung bites, and how it chimes shrilly
whenever it tastes blood for that is the
wont of Skofnung. which rejoices with him
| who wields 1t ut the noise OF battle" "
"Well said, answered the king; so when
he rode from the bondeI's farm on the Up
I Il, ho hoI III h,,t thn.
champions.
At last king Hrolf and his champions
| came to UpSala. and rode into the king s
great hail. They had concerted amongst
themselves not to declare which Of them
was Hroli; and also that Svipdag, who was
IA Swede, and known to king Ad'ls, should
be their spokesman. Svlpdag accordingly
went to the high Seat III the great hall, aud
it was murky within. There sat Adils in
his seat, and no man was with him
Svipdag greeted the king, and asked whrth.
er he gave peace. 1T is peace" SAID
Adils. But the hall was hung with purple
| drapery, aud the hangings tremblcd, and
then were thrust aside, and there issued
| forth IA band Of armed men, who thought
! TO tall upon the thirteen aud slay them in
! the hall, But Hroli aud his champions
| fought well: they smute on the right and
they smote on the left, and they heaped up
the dead at the feet OF the Swedish king,
| I'LL he fea, ed, and cried aloud that he pro-
claimed peace in the hall. So arms were
dropped, and the dead was carried out and
the blood was wiped up.
Guests" said king Adils, "you must be
cold" So he ordered the long rires to be-
| lightcd, d,-these are fires running down the
hall from top to bottom. Hrolf and his
men sat before the fire on one side, and
Adlls on the other with his men, and he
was near the door. Then Adils thought ::
IL have heard that my kinSman Hro!f was
sworn neither to fly from sword nor flame /:
| | can find out now which is HrOlf" And
he commanded more and more wood and
pitch to be piled and heaprd upon the fire,
till the hall glowed like furnace, and Hrolf
and his twelve were cut of IRON the door
by wall Of fire. Bolivar and Halt, with
the others endeavored to screen the king
from the heat, without at the same time
drawing attention to him; but at last they
marked how Adds and his men We're out
side the door, that they only rushed in to
add fuel to the fire. Their clothes began
to smoke and turn brown, and their boards
to 'rzzle. So they flung their shields into
the fire, and leaping over the flames, caught
each man and another who was quickening
up the fire and cast him into the blaze say
ing. "ye have kindled fame, enjoy the
glow" and Hrolf said, "the fire is not fled
If leapt over."
B dvar swept With his sword and moved
down many brave man, desiring to do his
best beior. he fell. The blooo was up to
his shoulders, and he stood in the midst OF
a circle Of corpses. -..
HroIf was surrounded by his champions,
who made a wall of shields ab ,ut him but
the wall was broken through, and one brave
man fell after another, till they all sank
down, al twelve INTO one heap, and the old
king fell in the midst. rFf ........-- .
Hrolf and his champions were buried in
"A great carn; and Skofnung, the good
sword, was laid by the side of the king, and
his battle axe by the side Of Halt; but
Bndvar Bark; was laid holding his sword
clenched IN his hands; and every man who
was there laid was LAID with his weapon be
side him. Hjnrvard the king, had also
fallen in tie battle, and a mound was
thr"wn up over him Many years after
came Skrgg'. Of the Middletrith. in Iceland,
and he dug into the cairn Of King Hrolf
aud took from him his sword. This sword
he afterwards gave to his son E'dr, who
gave it to Thorkel Dyjulj>son. Thork"l
vas wrecked Oh the coast of Iceland, and
lost in the dark sea, but the sword Skofnung
was fixed in piece Of timber, and it came
safely to land. Thorkers son, Gellir, bore
the good weapon to Rome, and died on his
way back He was buried in the great
church Of Rosenkilde, where are buried the
kings Of Denmark and there he lies with
his sword in his hand to this day. But
when Skeggi opened the cairn of Hrolf. he
could not withdraw the sword from Bodvar
Bj Xxi, for the dead hands were clenched
to, firmly around the hilt, and the dead
hands Of Bodvar were stronger than the
living hands Of Skegsi. .....
*The famous Bjarkamal has perished. Only few
poor fragments remain OF the ancient poem. Saxo
Grammaticus gives Latin verson Of it, however. The
| saga gives mere outline Of the substance in prose-
| tGellir Thorkelsson died in the eleventh century
DR. KANT, Of Vienna. was in love with
n rich young lady, and told another rich
lady, not young. who was in love with him.
that poverty was his reason for not marry
inc The latter generously the next dav