HROLE KRAKE

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 76

HROLE KRAKE

ELEVENTH SONG. PART HI. I "Besid-3 tho boaird of Svipur now Bodvar i Biarke sat • , And where the new-saved brothers ate- micl- ! day's meal, in chat Sat Hialte, too, and Voeggur, like comrades heel to heal. It was a joy to see them, so heartily their meal "With life new-given they tasted. Men's appetites rewaken \Vhen fasting at -ihe gallows their life is almost taken, Then given sgain with, pardon, and tempting food prepared. "Whilst they •enjoy the banquet, from speech let them be spared," Said Bodvar Biarke; "after the mea-t and i drink is done — J With, pleasure to their story! That 'tis a goodly cne I deem there is no doubting. Then first for j Tes~ and fcod." With liberal thanks and courteous was met the libsral mood Of hearty fisher Svipur. Quoth Biark, "Now pleasure us With tale of your adventures." One spake in answer thus: "A misty veil is folded about our childhpod'j d^vys ; ' . , " • | First thoughts - are of , a robber in darkling j forest ways; -. "•• ' -~. To hin t a- kind seri * led -us ; -, jw> serf whose tender heart," *, •-,-, ' -. , '■ -' Forbade him slay us striplings: to Him a murderer's part Was set by bard stepmother; As lawless as the bea^t Lay in his dera the irobber: adventure, pleasure's feast, He sought and found in murder of lone wayfaring men, While moonbeams through the pine trees peered trembling on bis den. He hated fellow-beings; in solitude he strayed Where wolf 'ah'd bear marauding their home j and shelter made.But bear' and wolf both knew him, and fled from him in fear When lying, ruddy-bearded, beside the stream or mere Slaking the thirst of hunting with cold unseasoned draught. Thick were his lips; his glances were dull, but full of craft; What silver, gold, and raiment he won by evil deed, He hoarded in his darkness through, avaiice and greed : He used it never; murder was all his pleasure's zest ; As in the lynx and marten, no heart Jaeat in his breast. Said he, 'Ye too are outcasts from men and human >kind ; You,, with your club-foot ugly, with me ere long shall fin.d The gait of proudest hero; and you, with shaggy brea9t, — What boots or bans the fell then?— a strong arm serves, us beat. , !TIl keep you, and will teach you the lusty hunt of man. . But quench all spirit craven— be valiant, for ye can ! Ye see this knotted bludgeon? — in calmlyflowing blood I many a skull have broken with its -hardbiting wood. That club shall ye inherit.' With him, then, must we stay ; j And shuddering in silence we saw the old man j slay I Many a luckless wanderer, who passed, no danger dreading. But when in eastern heaven we saw the fair Bun spreading, . j Saw, too, the grass of summer, and winter's drifted snow, The soft red blossoms, lovely, and perfect in their glow, The tali straight trees, and listened to birds' unceasing song, - j Whilst this trold iurked in evil most loathly the day long,— ' J We could Tiot well believe it that man was given breath Like wolf and bear to murder, and do good men to death. The huge chff, rearing proudly its bluff and rocky side Precipitous in sunshine, to us taught honour, pride. When we could slip the fetters of thraldom, joy would call And bid us watch the hurtling of foamy waterfall: On lonely moor we gathered cloud-berries, sweet and yellow. And in the cave enjoy them, whilst golden mead and mellow, And beer thwt he had stolen, quickened the robber's breath. In heated mood he often had threatened us with death. And often cruelly beat us when we refused his knife To rob the fallen victim of remnant of his life. We fled at length, and left him, one bleak and showery night; Saw m the frosty heavens that pallid northern light. We lived 011 nuts and berries, and water from clear spring, Until a kindly outlaw found us two wanderit gHe tended us most kindly; he healed our wounds and scratches, And «et us taming wolf-cubs in vicious little batches ; But scarce a cub was master of one tooth ere it bit Our hand, and licked the blood up. Of that ploy we were quit. "Thor only knows v/hat ending our life had ' found at last Had not good fortune favoured; our lot with one it cast, I A. neighbour, near Vty dwelling. A name esteemed he bore ; ! I E-.-e.ri Ilia ia.itii!eas rovers respected, liis cloep J lore, Feared tco his hoiy doings. He often, in the r sjhade. I Sat by t carven image, -whilst carnesfy he

prayed To Gimle'h good Aifader. He taught u& twain a.Dart,

f No Aser looked with pleasure on any craven j heart : ; That honesty, uprightness, our constant friend should be; That we should strike no foeman when weapon none had he, Or we were black-souled murderers. Full soon the man declared We two must catch the robber, that travellers might bs spared Their lives in gloomy forest, but we felt inadept. Yet so it chanced the robber found one -who lay and slept; With thongs he firmly bound him, saying with a smile, 'Let him but sleep his sleep outl No hast* is there awhile : In morning will I slay him; the light is now too dim To see his anguished features, the last sharp throes for him.' 'Twas the-n a lovely harvest night; he lay him down to sleep Close by on yielding grasses, his rest as calm and 'leep As is the swain's who early must rise to harvesting. But once the monster slumbered, we, noiseless, quavering, Cut loose the stranger's fetters, and showed the danger there. Tho life of the old robber we did not pray him spare, But showed wheTe Tie lay sleeping. With naked breast he lay Outstretched ; his eye half open, where moonbeams mimicked day. One thrust of his sharp weapon sufficed : the robber stirred And sped to Utgard-Loke. ' Hel ! ' was his last true word." (To be continued.)