"Thorhall asked them what had been the cause of Glam's death. They
said that they had traced footprints as large as though the bottom of
a cask had been set down in the snow leading from where the trampled
place was up to the cliffs at the head of the valley, and all along
the track there were huge blood-stains. From this they guessed that
the evil spirit which lived there must have killed Glam, but had
received so much hurt that it had died, for nothing was ever seen of
it after.
"The second day of Christmas they tried again to bring Glam to the
church. They yoked horses to him, but after they had come down the
slope and reached level ground they could drag him no further, and he
had to be left there.
"On the third day a priest went with them, but Glam was not be found,
although they searched for him all day. The priest refused to go a
second time, and the shepherd was found at once when the priest was
not present. So they gave over their attempts to take him to the
church, and buried him on the spot.
"Soon after this they became aware that Glam was not lying quiet, and
great damage was done by him, for many that saw him fell into a swoon,
or lost their reason. Immediately after Yule men believed that they
saw him about the farm itself, and grew terribly frightened, so that
many of them ran away. After this Glam began to ride on the house-top
by night, {259} and nearly shook it to pieces, and then he walked
about almost night and day. Men hardly dared to go up into the
valley, even although they had urgent business there, and every one in
the district thought great harm of the matter.
"In spring, Thorhall got new men, and started the farm again, while
Glam's walkings began to grow less frequent as the days grew longer.
So time went on, until it was mid-summer. That summer a ship from
Norway came into Huna-water (a firth to the north of Thorhall-stead),
and had on board a man called Thorgaut. He was foreign by birth, big
of body, and as strong as any two men. He was unhired and unmarried,
and was looking for some employment, as he was penniless. Thorhall
rode to the ship, and found Thorgaut there. He asked him whether he
would enter his service. Thorgaut answered that he might well do so,
and that he did not care much what work he did.
"'You must know, however,' said Thorhall, 'that it is not good for any
faint-hearted man to live at my place, on account of the hauntings
that have been of late, and I do not wish to deceive you in any way.'
"'I do not think myself utterly lost although I see some wretched
ghosts,' said Thorgaut. 'It will be no light matter for others if _I_
am scared, and I will not throw up the place on that account.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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