The sun., 1891-04-05
ERIC BRIGHTEYES.
BY H. RIDER HAGGARD.

BY H. RIDER HAGoARD.
cHAPTxs XII
now xl1c oANn xoNn AGAIN.
swanhild made eood passage from the ork-
nsys. and was In Iceland thirty -ave days before
Eric and Skallaerim set foot there. But she
did not land BY wsstman Isles for she had no
wish to face 0udruda at that time. but By Rsy.
janssa. Now she rode thence with her company
to ThinRvalla for here Ill men were gathered
| for the Thin9. At frst people hung aloof from
her. Notwithstanding her wealth and bssuty:
but Swanhild knew we'll how to win the hearts
| Of men. For now she told the same story Of
| Eric that she had told AtlL and there were
mono to say her nay. 30 II came to pass that
she Was believed. and Eric Briehteyss held to
be shamed indeed. Now. too. she set suit on
foot against Eric for the death Of Ali ct his
hand. claiming that sentence Of the greater
outlawry should be passed against him. and
that his lands at ooldbsek in the Marsh ON
Ran River should b Riven. half to hsri IN atone
ment for the Earl's death. and half to the mon
Of Eric's quarter.
On the day Of the opening Of the Thing o.
pakar Blaektooth came from the north. and
with him his son Gisur and great company
Of men. Ospakar was bliths. for from the
Thing no should ride 10 Middslhof. there to
we'd Gudruda the Fair. Then Swanhild clad
herself In beautiful attire. and. taking mon
with her. went to the booth OF Ospakar
Blscktooth sat in his booth. and By him sat
Gizur. his son. the Lawman. Whom he saw .
beauteous lady very richly clad. enter the
booth he did not know who It might bs. But
o. "a
| 6wanhild from his mind.
.Loi here comes swanhfld the Fatheriess,
Atlrs widow" said Gizur. flushing red with
Joy st tho sight Of her.
Then Ospakar greeted her heartily. ana made
place for her By him at the top Of tho booth.
"Ospakar Blacktooth." she said. I am come
10 ask this Of thee: that thou shalt befriend
mo in the suit which have against Eric
Brighteyes for the'slaying Of Atli my husband" :"
/ Thou couldst have como to no man who 10
more willing" said Ospakar. for. II thou hast
somewhat against Eric. have yet more"
"Iwould ask this. too. Ospakar: that thy son
know well that hs II the most skilful Of all
| lawmsn."
II viii do that" said aizur. his syss yss axsd
upon her face.
"Ilooksd for no less from thee" said Swan
hid. and b sure Of this. that thou shalt not
plead for nothing" and she glanced ct him
msaninRly. Then she sst out her case with .
lying tongue aftsrward. and went back to her
booth. glad at heart For now she learned that
Hall had not failed In his errand. seeing that
oudruds WAS about 70 wed 0spakar.
Gizur gave notice Of the blood suit and the
end OF II Was that. though he was not there to
answer to the charge. Eric. against al right
and custom. was declared outlaw. and his
lands were given. half to swanhild and half to
| the men Of his quarter. For now all held that
oWanhild's was Q true tale. and Eric the most
shameful Of men. and therefore they were will.
| inG 70 stretch the Law against him. Also. be-
| ing absent he had few friends, and those men
Of small account: whereas OspAkar. who
bscked swsnhild's suit was the most powerful
Of the northern chiefs, - Gizur was the most
skilled lawman In Iceland. Moreover. Biorn
the Priest Asmund's son. was among the
judges. and. though Swanhild's tale seemed
strange to him after that which he had heard
from Hall OF Lithdale. he loved Eric little. He
feared also that II Eric came free man to Ice
land before Gudruda was wed TO Ospakar her
| love would conquer her anger. for he could SEQ
well that she still loved Briehteyes There.
fore he sirove with might and main that Eric
should bs brought in guilty. nor did he fail.
30 tho end Of It was that Eric Brighteyes was
outlawed. his lands declared forfeit. and his
head . VOLTS head. to be taken byahim who
might, should he SGT foot: In Iceland.
Thereafter. the Althin9 being ended. Bj6rn.
Gizur. and Ospaksr. with all their company.
rode away to Middslhof to sit at the marriage
feast But Bwanhild and her folk went By sea
in the long war ship to Westmans. For this
was her plan: to seize ON Coldbaok and to sit
thers for while. till she saw II Eric came out
to Iceland. Also she desired to SOC the wed.
ding OF Ospsksr and GudrudA. for she had
been biddsn to Il BY Bjorn. hsr:hsli brother.
| Now Ospakar came to Middalhof. and found
Gudruds waiting his coming.
| She stood in the great hall pale and cold -
ADril snow and sreeted him eourtsously: But
whom hs would have kissed her. she shrank
from him. for now hs was moro hideous in her
| sight than hs had ever been. and shs loathsd
him In her heart
That night there was fsasting In tho hail. and
ct the feast Gudruda heard that Eric had been
made outlaw. Then she spoke:
"This 10 an III decd. to Judge an absent man. "
"say. Gudruda," said Bjorn in her ear. hast
thou not also judged Eric who 10 absent"
She turned her hssd and spoke no moro oi
Eric: but Bi5rn's words fixed themselves In
her heart like arrows. The tale was strange
to her, for It seemed that Eric had been made
outlaw at swanhild's suit. and yet Eric was
swanhids love: for swanhilds self had sent
the lock OF Brighteyes's hair BY Hail. saying
that he was her love and soon would we'd her.
How. then. did swanhlld bring suit against
him who should bs her husbandf Moreover.
she heard that Swsnhild sailed down to Cold
back. and was bidden to the marriage feast.
that should bs ON tho third day from now
Gould It be. then. whom all was said and done.
that Eric Was loss faithless than she deemed
Her heart stood still and the blood rushed to
her brow when she thought on It. Also. even
ifit were 50. It was now too late. And surely
It was not 90. for had not Eric boon made out
iaw2 Men were not made outlaw for little
thing Nay. she would meet her fate. and ask
no moro OF Eric and his doings.
On the morrow. as Gudruds sat IN her cham
Dor. It WAS told her that SaevunA Thor
grimurs widow and Eric's mother. had come
from Coldback to speak with her. For sftel
the death OF Asmund and OF Unns. saevuns
had moved back to Coldbsck In the Marsh.
may. how can this boz" said Gudruda as
tonishsd. for she know well that ssevuns wa
now both blind and bedridden.
"She has been borne here In chsir." salt
| xhs Srom an who told her and that 10 strang,