A man by name Eirik was now appointed to take charge of the beacon in Fridarey. When Uni had stopped there a short time, he came to Eirik, and said: “Would you like me to take care of the beacon; I have nothing else to do, and can give it my undivided attention.” Eirik accepted his offer, and when no one was near Uni poured water over it, and made it so wet that it could not be lighted. CHAPTER LXV THE BEACONS OF THE ORKNEYS DESTROYED. EARL RÖGNVALD and his men said they would wait until the tidal currents were met by an east wind, for then it is hardly possible to go from Westrey to Hrossey, but with east wind one can sail from Hjaltland to Westrey. For this Rögnvald and his men waited, and came one Friday evening to Höfn,[338] in Westrey, to Helgi, who dwelt there. No beacons could be lighted, for when the sails were seen from Fridarey, Eirik prepared to go to Earl Paul, and sent a man to Uni to light the beacon, but when he came there Uni was away. When the man tried to light the beacon himself, it was so wet that it would not burn. When Eirik heard this, he knew what was the matter, and went to Earl Paul and told him. When Earl Rögnvald had arrived in Westrey, the islanders ran together. Helgi and Kugi put themselves at their head, and their first plan was to try to make peace with the Earl; and their dealings ended in such a way that the Westreymen submitted to Earl Rögnvald, and swore him oaths of fealty. CHAPTER LXVI ROGNVALD RULES THE ORKNEYS. ON Sunday Earl Rögnvald had mass celebrated there in the village.[339] As they were standing outside the church, they saw sixteen men approaching unarmed, and with their hair close cut. The Earl’s men thought their dress singular, and spoke among themselves of who they might be. Then the Earl made a ditty: Sixteen have I seen together, With a small tuft on their foreheads; Surely these are women coming, All without their golden trinkets. Now may we of this bear witness. In the west here all the maidens Wear their hair short—that isle Elon[340] Lies out in the stormy ocean. After Sunday, Earl Rögnvald’s men visited the neighbouring districts, and all the people gave in their submission to the Earl. One night in Westrey the Earl’s men became aware that the islanders were holding a secret meeting to devise some treachery against Earl Rögnvald. When the Earl heard of it, he rose and went to the place of meeting. When he came there, his men had beaten many of the islanders, and had taken Farmer Kugi and put him in fetters, saying that he was the author of all these proceedings. Kugi pled his cause eloquently, and many put in a word for him, and protested his innocence with him. Then the Earl sang: