This way went the Prince a-fowling; Skilful are his men with arrows. Now is many a heathcock meeting Death beside the verdant hillocks, Where the elmbow of the hunter, Keenly bent, as if by magic, Makes the moorfowl quickly perish. The Prince’s sword the land defendeth. The Earl’s men ran away from the homestead, and he who could run fastest considered himself luckiest, as he would be the first to catch Earl Rögnvald. Bótólf went into the house, awoke the Earl, and told him what had happened during the night, and also what the Earl’s men were doing. Rögnvald and his men started up instantly, and put on their clothes; then they went away to the Earl’s residence at Jórfiara; and when they came there they found Earl Harald in hiding. The Earls [Harald and Rögnvald] went immediately over to Ness each in a separate boat; one had two men, the other three. All their men went over to Ness, wherever they could get a boat. Earl Erlend and Swein took the ships belonging to the Earl, and a great quantity of other property. Swein took for his share all Earl Rögnvald’s treasures that were in his ship, and sent them to him over to Ness. Swein advised Earl Erlend to move his ships out to Vagaland (Walls), and to lie in the Firth, where they could see ships coming from Ness, as he thought it would be convenient to run out upon them if there was opportunity. But Earl Erlend yielded to the persuasions of his men that they should go north to Daminsey (Damsey), and in a large castle there they drank all day, but fastened the ships together every night, and slept on board. Thus time passed on till the Yule-feast. CHAPTER XCVII EARL ERLEND’S DEATH. FIVE nights before Christmas, Swein, Asleif’s son, went east to Sandvik,[423] to his kinswoman Sigríd, because he had to make peace between her and her neighbour by name Björn. Before he went away he told Earl Erlend to sleep on board by night, and not to be less on his guard that he himself was absent. Swein spent one night with his kinswoman Sigríd. A tenant and dear friend of Sigríd’s, by name Gisl, asked Swein to stay with him, as he had been brewing ale, and wished to entertain him. When they came to Gisl they were told that Earl Erlend had not gone on board that night; and as soon as Swein heard it, he sent Margad, Grim’s son, and two other men to the Earl, and asked him to pay heed to his advice, although he had not done so the preceding night, and then he added: “I suspect that I shall not have long to provide for this Earl.”