When Kol saw the beacon burning, he ordered his men to turn back, saying
that this would now cause dissensions among their enemies. This done,
Kol went back to Hjaltland, and said to Uni that he should now carry out
his scheme.
Uni took with him three Hjaltlanders, and they took a six-oared boat,
some provisions, and fishing tackle. They went to Fridarey. Uni said he
was a Norwegian, but had been married in Hjaltland, and had sons there.
He further said that he had been robbed by Earl Rögnvald’s men, and
spoke very ill of them. He took a house there, but his sons went out
fishing, and he stayed at home himself and took care of the fish they
caught. He entered into conversation with the men of the island, and
became familiar with them, and was well liked.
CHAPTER LXIV
OF THE ORKNEYMEN.
WHEN Dagfinn had lighted the beacon, he went to Paul, as has been
mentioned before. All the Earl’s leading men came to him also. A watch
was kept for Rögnvald’s movements, and it was thought strange that he
nowhere appeared. Still the troops were kept together for three days.
Then the Islanders began to murmur, saying that it was great foolishness
to light beacons when fishermen were seen in their boats.
Thorstein, Ragna’s son, was blamed for having lighted the beacon in
Rínarsey. He replied that he could do nothing but light his beacon when
he saw the blaze in Fridarey, and said that this had all happened
through Dagfinn.
Dagfinn replied: “People come more frequently to harm through you when
you cannot blame me for it.”
Thorstein told him to be silent, and leapt up with an axe and dealt him
a heavy blow. Then each man seized his weapons, and there was a fray.
This was in Hrossey, not far from Kirkiuvag. Sigurd from Westness, and
his son Hákon Kló, and Brynjúlf, took part with Hlödver, Dagfinn’s
father, but Thorstein was aided by his kinsmen. Then the Earl was
informed of what was going on, and it was a long time until he could
part them.
Kugi of Westrey made a long speech, and said: “Do not disgrace the Earl
by fighting among yourselves. Ere long you will need all your men; let
us take care then not to be disabled or at enmity among ourselves. This
has probably happened according to the designs of our enemies, and has
been a device of theirs to destroy the beacons in this way. Now they may
be expected every day, and let us make our plans accordingly.”
Dagfinn said: “No one has had any evil intention in this, but we have
acted with more thoughtlessness than we ought to have done.”
Kugi guessed the whole truth, and spoke many wise words about it. At
last they both agreed that the Earl should judge between them; and it
was resolved to disperse the gathering, and the people went home.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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