The sun., 1891-05-17


Back they roll. LEAVING the. way clear-clenr
save for the dead. Then skallaGfim turns also
Now Eric wipes the gore from hIs eyes and
he steps down upon the eiddy point He gees R
Knees to the rock wall that Is by the cave. and
sits it resting his back against it Whitefre on
Before he is we'll there. there comes rush
and Skallagrim staeRers to his side.
gasps. See. here is water" and he takes q
SS P u Ss Rsei I'll r s%s FSss
upoR n their feet and win tHcE their breath:
e. and We are yet match for one or two. Fee,
fhsy fthsy 80 ,SSomel Say where shall We meet them'
Here, auoth Eric, IT canno. stand veil
am all unmeet for ngh."
Now and ing none to stay them. the folk Of
Gu S% @ pDGH the TNi and r M
Of all because she knows we'll that ERIC vii!
not not harm her; and after her come aizur a@nd and
Now swan bid draws near and looks on, Eric
snd s hs ss % n Rs OF her heart
Now, she says. now are bright eyes dim
eyes What yfspsst ss nHn
81 blood ior those whom thou hast brought to
SssTs pS sP'hs FSoa 0E @ aon:
enough for honor; and thou art not smittsn 70
the death h Of & Sonder SSSwardy hound Yield
Sssf r. sss hSsss aad together We viii forget
pIishted. Biz ted swanhiid. 'u0f 'n"n 'ne' 40 INV 'f0'n
she 4 dead d,S snys yt swsph'ld s!Ia
her among the dead-1 20 to seek her and to
But the face Of swanhild grew fierce as the
THOU hast put me away for the last time,
ana ose ss SIGHT S Of 'e Thy ev Hp face sWashd the
harlotl .Swnnhild tho murderess! Swanbild
escape-thy doom draws on also Land haunfed
md and % accprsed shni, thou be for s eyer! Fare
Sa hon ssa
Now Swanhild turned and called to tie folk:
make an end. Como. cut them down. for night
Then once moro the men Of dizur closed in
blow went home. then he could smile no more,
for his strength was spent with toll and
while SiaIagr m stood over him like 4 shebcar
Ger her young and hold the mob at bay. Then
tered % hi. side through cleft in his bSrnie and
p'sfesS am ni spea. eskallssrim 1.me..all" cried
against the rock and his eyes closed.
gssn and on sse the
Farewell Eric briehleyes!" liz said. Ice
land shall never see such another man. and few
l0ia 1H,aH shs '1% fsSs
Six ailaGrim rushed screaming np9n the fae.
- ana i5o he rushed: dealing Res s cat SoMs. snd
thrust at his side and back. for they dared not
stand before him: TIL he Iied from hundred
nd woandsd tw" % s aSi no
more 4 moment he stood swaying to and fro.
hsS he s hs cns SSsy es A
iell as q rock falls-ieIl dead upon the dead,
but Eric was not vet gone. 6 He opened his
eyes and saw the 'all of sksiia9rim and
Veil ended. skallagriml" he said in faint
Lo!"'. cried Gizur. "yon outlawed hound yet
an end Of him ,f! and 50 SC. shall ospakar's sword
boar nes iies dying Yin % said swSnhid, 10" 'n"' 'A0
sSn BIS @ came epH him. m" aad o 8s
staggered to his Knees and thence to his feet.
Then he folk xbs fa fS% e% qouSa wh M all bas as
iii it Shines like d whe el OF fire. Thy service
is done and thou art clean OF Gudruda's blood
ana 0ss casts %hsre sem him TO-
ward the gull.
:, Away speeds the great blade. flashing like
and lehold as men watch it is gone-eone in
has been known In Iceland.
Now sIay thou me. Gtzur." says the dying
Ei,ur comes on with uttla ea1arpaas and
Eric cries aloud:
":swordless | slew, thy father !..swordIesa,
Stay thee. Gizur the Murderer p and with
loud cry he 81 staggered toward him.
Gzur smi,es hin with his sword but Eric
him into those Rrent arms say. sweeps him up.
lifts him from tue ground anL reels"n. ~
sees his purpose; STRUGGLES. and s,sreks aloud.
But the strength OF the dying Eric Is more
the snh the 1ay Of sdss zs and w Ss h shses n ss
pc slug sun flames about his head; And now
bearing Gizur with him, he hurls himself out
Men stand wondering but swanhild cries
have seen thee dio. VINO Of ali men vast the
Thus then was the end OF Eric Brighteyes
lived In Iceland WAS tho mightiest. the good:
lest, and the lest beloved OF women and OF
thi-. She caused the body OF Erie to be
searched for in the cleft. and there they found
i, lios.inR In water apd with dead Gzur yet
an clothe'l II ngan In t,s rent nrnor. and
bound on tho Iieil-shUen. and IT was carried on
horses TO the seaside, and with 1t We're borne
tho bodies OF Skallagrim Lam bstail the Bnre-
sark, Eric's thrali. and OF all those men whom
they had slain in the last great light on Mos
Iell. that Is now named Ericsfel
Then Swanhll drew her long dragon OF war,
she'd il o over against Westman Isles and. in the
zen re- Of the ship. she piled the bodies Of the
slain in the shane Of u bed. and lashrd them
last. And on this bed she laid Erie Brightsyes.
nnd the breast OF BLACK Skallagrim the
was his pillow. and the breast of
iiZur, Ospak nrs son. was his footiest.
Then she ed the sails to b. hoistod. and
went alone aboard the long ship. the rails OF
which were hung with the shields OF the dead
men.
! gale that blew from the land. she cut the
.able with her own hand. and the ship leapt
Onward like o thing alive. and rushed out In
he red ligh, OF tho sunset toward the open
sea-
Now ever the gale freshened and folk. stand
nR on Westman Heights. saw the long ship
,lunge past. dipping her prov beneath tho
waves and sending tho water In Q rain OF spray
over living Swanhild,over dead Eric. and those
~. IL, had - E.io nri1hfavaa bar hat |