Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1893-01-26
THE STORY OF ULLA
Told at the Edge Of the Northern Sea, and
Written for This Paper.
BY EDWIN LESTER ARNOLr

unchronicled again into the ds Of
memory from whence they came.
In the mid of the plain the kings men
had built hall OF rough-hewn pine
logs, so long and wide that 5000 chiefs
could sit to meat within it at once. And
every vassal of the king had sent pol
ished buckler 20 deck the bride house,
and those were ranged in rows along
the roofs and sides until all these war
like trappings cleaned together with
one broad shine that men could see
from Akinfell to the white pools by
Flekkerfjord. And every Norway maid
had bound q fillet of green spruce and
golden flower, and these were ranged
between the shields until cloud Of soft
color wrapped the palace far and near,
and the sweet new pine smell hung
warm and heavy overhead.
Nor was this all. Every jarl and sea
lord, every captain and rover who own.
ed long ship or snekja, a skeid or
skuta, had brought them round to the
ford and hauled them up over rollers,
and there they stood, those great navies
of the vikings that had paled the cheeks
of maids and matrons In twenty lands,
their golden names-"Deer of the Surf, I"
Raven Of the Wind" "Egr's Steed, :"
Hawk on the Gull's Track, Snake Of
the Sea, carved in runic on each steep
rising PROV, in two long rows a mile or
two in length, with parti-colored sails
all set, and red raiding flag streaming
on the wind, and gilt dragon heads all
turned inward, and jolly crews in bright
vestments in their idle ranks of oars,
rnd garlands Of flowers about those
sides which the white ribbons of the sea
foam were wont alone to deck.
All about the great mid hall were
scores Of lesser houses so that where
green grass grew week ago was now
gay wooden city, and thousand troops
Of horse stood munching Halfdan' hay,
and thousand stalwart clansmen were
quafling Halfdans ale, and thousand
tables bent with Halfdan's provender,
and thousand trumpets sounded Half
dan war-note, and a thousand scalds
were singing Halfdan s praises that day
King Haitian married.
The great prince had chosen me to
be among his right-hand men, and thus
happened that which was the sweet and
the bitter, the light and the darkness of
my life. King Goldbeard came ashore
from his ships early in the morning,
and my handsome black haired master
took the sweet Ragnhild by the hand,
and at the head Of long procession Of
princes, chiefs and ladies', all on foot,
marched through the mighty concourse
Of the shouting people and up the long
lane Of dragon ships into the great hall
itself. There the feudatories ranged
themselves in gallant rows at the many
tressel tables, while the kings and we
with them went on to the further end,
where stood some oaken benches.
These made three sides Of square
On one sat Harold with his PEERS on
the other, facing him, was Halfdan-
and l on his right-and four strong
jarls from the corners Of his kingdom
to flank us. The last bench across the
other two was filled by ladies', and amid
them-all in white bride linen, with
splendid torque of jewels binding the
loose folds across her bosom and a dia-
dem of rough gold in her golden hair
sat the bride.
scarcely know what followed saw
the brlde-price paid and the bench gifts
made on Bonded knee. / saw the fair
and frightened Ragnhild clinging weep
ing for minute to her fathers neck,
and then saw King Halfdan take her