Olaf himself
noticed Erling's behavior, and said to him, from the foredeck below,
"Thou hast turned against me to-day, Erling." "The eagles fight
breast to breast," answers he. This was a speech of the king's to
Erling once long ago, while they stood fighting, not as now, but side
by side. The king, with some transient thought of possibility going
through his head, rejoins, "Wilt thou surrender, Erling?" "That will
I," answered he; took the helmet off his head; laid down sword and
shield; and went forward to the forecastle deck. The king pricked, I
think not very harshly, into Erling's chin or beard with the point of
his battle-axe, saying, "I must mark thee as traitor to thy Sovereign,
though." Whereupon one of the bystanders, Aslak Fitiaskalle, stupidly
and fiercely burst up; smote Erling on the head with his axe; so that
it struck fast in his brain and was instantly the death of Erling.
"Ill-luck attend thee for that stroke; thou hast struck Norway out of
my hand by it!" cried the king to Aslak; but forgave the poor fellow,
who had done it meaning well. The insurrectionary Bonder fleet
arriving soon after, as if for certain victory, was struck with
astonishment at this Erling catastrophe; and being now without any
leader of authority, made not the least attempt at battle; but, full
of discouragement and consternation, thankfully allowed Olaf to sail
away on his northward voyage, at discretion; and themselves went off
lamenting, with Erling's dead body.
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