Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 171: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Swain’s Justice Because of the searching and of Jarl Harald’s reluctance to take part in it their company was much separated. Ahead of all rode Jarl Rognvald, accompanied by two other mounted men—that Asolf who had summoned Swain from Gairsey, and Jomar, the kinsman of the Jarl. A consid- erable distance behind came a score or two of men on foot, who examined the fields, thickets and buildings in their path. After them, in turn, came Jarl Harald, as has been said, with perhaps as many more men who were his personal following. And off three or four bow-shots on the right Swain con- ducted a party who searched in that quarter. So it chanced that Jarl Rognvald, at- tended but by Asolf and Jomar, rode into the yard of a stead belonging to a farmer named Hoskuld, who was a tenant of Thor- biorn’s and with whom Thorbiorn was con- cealed. This stead was built upon the summit of a small hillock, and the entrance to the skall1 was through an unroofed stone passage, wide enough for only one man to pass through it at a time, which wound around the slopes of the hillock. Hoskuld was standing upon a corn-stack, piling the corn which his servants fetched in from the fields, as the Jarl rode up, and he greeted the Jarl at once in a very loud voice. ‘Ho, Jarl Rognvald,” he shouted. “How comes it that you visit me without warning, and a tail of men behind you stretching across the hills?” As Hoskuld intended, this speech reached the ears of Thorbiorn, who was sitting in the skallt with eight of his followers, fully armed, and gave him warning of his danger. But of this, of course, Jarl Rognvald was ignorant. “You need not shout at me, farmer,” the Jarl answered. ‘‘My hearing is good. I am seeking i But he said no more, for Thorbiorn and the eight others had run out of a concealed door in the skalli wall, circled the gable end of the building and then traversed the flat top of the outer wall of the passage through which the skalli was reached. On top of this wall they were a little above the Jarl and his men on horseback, and Thorbiorn struck down at Jarl Rognvald almost be- fore the Jarl realized that he was being attacked. In fact, so dazed was the Jarl that he made no effort to protect himself, but the 169 youth Asolf interposed his naked arm be- tween Thorbiorn’s sword and the Jarl’s head. The blade bit through flesh and bone and sheared off the boy’s whole fore- arm and hand, and withal, sliced away the whole front of the Jarl’s chin, making a terrible wound. Neither the Jarl nor Asolf was dismayed, however. The Jarl made an effort to dis- mount from his horse, which was restive, and at the same time reached for his sword; but the blood from his wound confused him and his foot caught in his stirrup, and as he was half in, half out, of his saddle, Thor- biorn struck him again and Stefan Rad- giafi—The Counselor—stabbed him with a spear. Asolf staggered forward in an attempt to intervene once more, but his strength was failing him, and he cried out: ‘Let those serve the Jarl now who have to thank him for greater gifts than I! I have done all I may.” Thorbiorn would have smote Jarl Rogn- vald a third time, but Jomar, the Jarl’s kinsman, whose horse had taken fright and backed away, contrived to thrust himself before the two wounded men, and with a hunting-spear he wounded Stefan Radgiafi and also pierced Thorbiorn’s thigh. Asolf’s shout had called the attention of others of Jarl Rognvald’s folk, and as they commenced to stream forward Thorbiorn took fright, leaped from the passage wall and with his men behind him ran speedily out of the stead yard and across a stretch of bog. They did not tarry until they had crossed the moss-hag which ran through the bog, on the farther bank of which they were joined by Hoskuld, the farmer, and his sons and servants and other folk of the vicinity, who rallied to Thorbiorn’s support to the number of fifty. In the meantime, Jomar had lifted Jarl Rognvald from his horse and done what he could for him, but all efforts were fruitless. The Jarl died on the bed of corn-stalks they made for him, and Jomar dispatched mes- sengers to summon Jarl Harald and Swain. Swain was farthest away, and there was delay in finding him, but the messenger who sought Jarl Harald came upon him on a slight eminence when he was watching Thorbiorn and the party of Kalfadal folk mustering their strength on the opposite side of the moss-hag, Some of Jarl Har- ald’s men had noted Thorbiorn’s flight, for COnmiclboookkS.G©