followed them far, slaying every man whom he overtook.
At length, sated with pursuit, he with his followers turned
back, and came where the battle had been, and found
there the dead body of his brother Thorolf. He took it up,
washed it, and performed such other offices as were the
wont of the time. They dug a grave there, and laid Thorolf
therein with all his weapons and raiment. Then Egil
clasped a gold bracelet on either wrist before he parted
from him; this done they heaped on stones and cast in
mould. Then Egil sang a stave:
'Dauntless the doughty champion
Dashed on, the earl's bold slayer:
In stormy stress of battle
Stout-hearted Thorolf fell.
Green grows on soil of Vin-heath
Grass o'er my noble brother:
But we our woe-a sorrow
Worse than death-pang-must bear.'
And again he further sang:
'With warriors slain round standard
The western field I burdened;
Adils with my blue Adder
Assailed mid snow of war.
Olaf, young prince, encountered
England in battle thunder:
Hring stood not stour of weapons,
Starved not the ravens' maw.'
Then went Egil and those about him to seek king Athelstan, and at once went before the king, where he sat at the drinking. There was much noise of merriment. And when the king saw that Egil was come in, he bade the lower bench be cleared for them, and that Egil should sit in the high-seat facing the king. Egil sat down there, and cast his shield before his feet. He had his helm on his head, and laid his sword across his knees; and now and again he half drew it, then clashed it back into the sheath. He sat upright, but with head bent forward.
Egil was large-featured, broad of forehead, with large eyebrows, a nose not long but very thick, lips wide and long, chin exceeding broad, as was all about the jaws; thick-necked was he, and big-shouldered beyond other men, hard-featured, and grim when angry. He was well-
