第3章
supposethatIheardthem；atanyrate，Iknowwhattheysaid，although，strangelyenough，nothingatallcomesbacktomeoftheirtaleofanattackuponashiporofwhatthenIdidordidnotdo。
“ItisnotwisetojeeratOlaf，“saidSteinar，“forwhenheisstungwithwordshedoesmadthings。Don’tyourememberwhathappenedwhenyourfathercalledhim’niddering’lastyearbecauseOlafsaiditwasnotjusttoattacktheshipofthoseBritishmenwhohadbeendriventoourcoastbyweather，meaningusnoharm？“
“Aye，“answeredRagnar。“Heleaptamongthemallaloneassoonasourboattouchedherside，andfelledthesteersman。ThentheBritishmenshoutedoutthattheywouldnotkillsobravealad，andthrewhimintothesea。Itcostusthatship，sincebythetimewehadpickedhimupshehadputaboutandhoistedherlargesail。Oh，Olafisbraveenough，weallknowthat！Still，heoughttohavebeenbornawomanorapriestofFreyawhoonlyoffersflowers。Also，heknowsmytongueandbearsnomalice。“
“Praythatwegethimhomesafe，“saidSteinaruneasily，“forifnottherewillbetroublewithyourmotherandeveryotherwomanintheland，tosaynothingofIdunatheFair。“
“IdunatheFairwouldlivethroughit，“answeredRagnar，withahardlaugh。“Butyouareright；and，whatismore，therewillbetroubleamongthemenalso，especiallywithmyfatherandinmyownheart。
AfterallthereisbutoneOlaf。“
AtthismomentIheldupmyhand，andtheystoppedtalking。
Leapingfromtheirhorses，RagnarandSteinarcametowhereIstood，foralreadyIhaddismountedandwaspointingtotheground，whichjustherehadbeensweptclearofsnowbythewind。
“Iseenothing，“saidRagnar。
“ButIdo，brother，“Ianswered；“whostudythewaysofwildthingswhileyouthinkIamasleep。Look，thatmosshasbeenturnedover；foritisfrozenunderneathandpressedupintolittlemoundsbetweenthebear’sclaws。Alsothattinypoolhasgatheredintheslotofthepaw；
itisitsveryshape。Theotherfootprintsdonotshowbecauseoftherock。“
ThenIwentforwardafewpacesbehindsomebushesandcalledout:
“Hererunsthetrack，sureenough，and，asIthought，thebrutehasasplitclaw；thesnowmarksitwell。Bidthethrallstaywiththehorsesandcomeyou。“
Theyobeyed，andthereonthewhitesnowwhichlaybeyondthebushwesawthetrackofthebearstampedasifinwax。
“Amightybeast，“saidRagnar。“NeverhaveIseenitslike。“
“Aye，“exclaimedSteinar，“butanillplacetohuntitin，“andhelookeddoubtfullyattheroughgorge，coveredwithundergrowth，thatsomehundredyardsfartheronbecamedensebirchforest。“IthinkitwouldbewelltoridebacktoAar，andreturnto-morrowmorningwithallwhomwecangather。Thisisnotaskforthreespears。“
BythistimeI，Olaf，wasspringingfromrocktorockupthegorge，followingthebear’strack。Formybrother’stauntsrankledinmeandIwasdeterminedthatIshouldkillthisbeastordieandthusshowRagnarthatIfearednobear。SoIcalledbacktothemovermyshoulder:
“Aye，gohome，itiswisest；butIgoonforIhaveneveryetseenoneofthesewhiteice-bearsalive。“
“NowitisOlafwhotauntsinhisturn，“saidRagnarwithalaugh。
Thentheybothsprangafterme，butalwaysIkeptaheadofthem。
Forthehalfofamileormoretheyfollowedmeoutofthescrubintothebirchforest，wherethesnow，lyingonthemattedboughsofthetreesandespeciallyofsomefirsthatweremingledwiththebirch，madetheplacegloomyinthatlowlight。Alwaysinfrontofmeranthehugeslotsofthebeartillatlengththeybroughtmetoalittleforestglade，wheresomegreatwhirlingwindhadtornupmanytreeswhichhadbutapoorroot-holdonapatchofalmostsoillessrock。
Thesetreeslayinconfusion，theirtops，whichhadnotyetrotted，beingfilledwithfrozensnow。OntheedgeofthemIpaused，havinglostthetrack。ThenIwentforwardagain，castingwideasahounddoes，whilebehindcameRagnarandSteinar，walkingstraightpasttheedgeoftheglade，andpurposingtomeetmeatitshead。This，indeed，Ragnardid，butSteinarhaltedbecauseofacrunchingsoundthatcaughthisear，andthensteppedtotherightbetweentwofallenbirchestodiscoveritscause。Nextmoment，ashetoldmeafterwards，hestoodfrozen，fortherebehindtheboughsofoneofthetreeswasthehugewhitebear，eatingsomeanimalthatithadkilled。Thebeastsawhim，and，madwithrageatbeingdisturbed，foritwasfamishedafteritslongjourneyonthefloe，reareditselfuponitshindlegs，roaringtilltheairshook。Highittowered，itshook-likeclawsoutstretched。
Steinartriedtospringback，butcaughthisfoot，andfell。Wellforhimwasitthathedidso，forotherwisetheblowwhichthebearstruckwouldhavecrushedhimtoapulp。Thebrutedidnotseemtounderstandwherehehadgone——atanyrate，itremaineduprearedandbeatingattheair。Thenadoubttookit，itshugepawssankuntilitsatlikeabeggingdog，sniffingthewind。AtthismomentRagnarcamebackshouting，andhurledhisspear。Itstuckinthebeast’schestandhungthere。Thebearbegantofeelforitwithitspaws，and，catchingtheshaft，liftedittoitsmouthandchampedit，thusdraggingthesteelfromitshide。
ThenitbethoughtitofSteinar，and，sinkingdown，discoveredhim，andtoreatthebirchtreeunderwhichhehadcrepttillthesplintersflewfromitstrunk。JustthenIreachedit，havingseenall。BynowthebearhaditsteethfixedinSteinar’sshoulder，or，rather，inhisleatherngarment，andwasdragginghimfromunderthetree。Whenitsawmeitreareditselfupagain，liftingSteinarandholdinghimtoitsbreastwithonepaw。Iwentmadatthesight，andchargedit，drivingmyspeardeepintoitsthroat。Withitsotherpawitstrucktheweaponfrommyhand，shiveringtheshaft。Thereitstood，toweringoveruslikeawhitepillar，androaredwithpainandfury，Steinarstillpressedagainstit，RagnarandIhelpless。
“He’ssped！“gaspedRagnar。
Ithoughtforaflashoftime，and——oh！welldoIrememberthatmoment:thehugebeastfoamingatthejawsandSteinarheldtoitsbreastasalittlegirlholdsadoll；thestill，snow-ladentrees，onthetopofoneofwhichsatasmallbirdspreadingitstailinjerks；
theredlightofevening，andaboutusthegreatsilencesoftheskyaboveandofthelonelyforestbeneath。Itallcomesbacktome——Icanseeitnowquiteclearly；yes，eventhebirdflittingtoanothertwig，andthereagainspreadingitstailtosomeinvisiblemate。ThenImadeupmymindwhattodo。
“Notyet！“Icried。“Keepitinplay，“and，drawingmyshortandheavysword，Iplungedthroughthebirchboughstogetbehindthebear。
Ragnarunderstood。Hethrewhiscapintothebrute’sface，andthen，afterithadgrowledathimawhile，justasitdroppeditsgreatjawstocrunchSteinar，hefoundaboughandthrustitbetweenthem。
BynowIwasbehindthebear，and，smitingatitsrightlegbelowtheknee，severedthetendon。Downitcame，stillhuggingSteinar。Ismoteagainwithallmystrength，andcutintoitsspineabovethetail，paralysingit。Itwasagreatblow，asitneedtobetocleavethethickhairandhide，andmyswordbrokeinthebackbone，sothat，likeRagnar，nowIwasweaponless。Theforepartofthebearrolledaboutinthesnow，althoughitsafterhalfwasstill。
ThenoncemoreitseemedtobethinkitselfofSteinar，wholayunmovingandsenseless。Stretchingoutapaw，itdraggedhimtowardsitschampingjaws。Ragnarleaptuponitsbackandstruckatitwithhisknife，therebyonlymaddeningitthemore。IraninandgraspedSteinar，whomthebearwasagainhuggingtoitsbreast。Seeingme，itloosedSteinar，whomIdraggedawayandcastbehindme，butintheeffortIslippedandfellforward。Thebearsmoteatme，anditsmightyforearm——wellformethatitwasnotitsclaws——struckmeuponthesideoftheheadandsentmecrashingintoatree-toptotheleft。
FivepacesIflewbeforemybodytouchedtheboughs，andthereIlayquiet。
IsupposethatRagnartoldmewhatpassedafterthiswhileIwassenseless。Atleast，Iknowthatthebearbegantodie，formyspearhadpiercedsomearteryinitsthroat，andallthetalkwhichfollowed，aswellasthoughIhearditwithmyears。Itroaredandroared，vomitingbloodandstretchingoutitsclawsafterSteinarasRagnardraggedhimaway。Thenitlaiditsheadflatuponthesnowanddied。Ragnarlookedatitandmuttered:
“Dead！“
ThenhewalkedtothattopofthefallentreeinwhichIlay，andagainmuttered:“Dead！Well，ValhallaholdsnobravermanthanOlaftheSkald。“
NexthewenttoSteinarandonceagainexclaimed，“Dead！“
Forsohelooked，indeed，smotheredinthebloodofthebearandwithhisgarmentshalftornoffhim。Still，asthewordspassedRagnar’slipshesatup，rubbedhiseyesandsmiledasachilddoeswhenitawakes。
“Areyoumuchhurt？“askedRagnar。
“Ithinknot，“heanswereddoubtfully，“savethatIfeelsoreandmyheadswims。Ihavehadabaddream。“Thenhiseyesfellonthebear，andheadded:“Oh，Iremembernow；itwasnodream。WhereisOlaf？“
“SuppingwithOdin，“answeredRagnarandpointedtome。
Steinarrosetohisfeet，staggeredtowhereIlay，andstaredatmestretchedthereaswhiteasthesnow，withasmileuponmyfaceandinmyhandasprayofsomeevergreenbushwhichIhadgraspedasIfell。
“Didhedietosaveme？“askedSteinar。
“Aye，“answeredRagnar，“andneverdidmanwalkthatbridgeinbetterfashion。Youwereright。WouldthatIhadnotmockedhim。“
“WouldthatIhaddiedandnothe，“saidSteinarwithasob。“ItisborneinuponmyheartthatitwerebetterIhaddied。“
“Thenthatmaywellbe，fortheheartdoesnotlieatsuchatime。
Alsoitistruethathewasworthbothofus。Therewassomethingmoreinhimthanthereisinus，Steinar。Come，lifthimtomyback，andifyouarestrongenough，goontothehorsesandbidthethrallbringoneofthem。Ifollow。“
Thusendedthefightwiththegreatwhitebear。
Somefourhourslater，inthemidstofaragingstormofwindandrain，IwasbroughtatlasttothebridgethatspannedthemoatoftheHallofAar，laidlikeacorpseacrossthebackofoneofthehorses。