CHAPTER XXV
Of Bardi's Two Spies.
Now comes Bardi with his flock to Nial's in the evening. Nial is standing without, and bids them all guesting as one merry with ale; that they take, let loose their horses, and sit them down on either bench. Nial is without that evening, and his wife with him, dighting victual for their guests; but his young lad was within, and made game with them.
Bardi asked the lad if he had ever a whetstone. "I wot," saith he, "of a hard-stone which my father owns, but I durst not take it."
"I will buy it of thee," saith Bardi, "and give thee a whittle therefor."
"Yea," said the lad, "why then should I not strike a bargain with thee;" and goeth and findeth the hard-stone, and giveth it to Bardi. Bardi handles it, and taketh the whittle from his neck, and therewith was somewhat shifted the pair of beads which the carline had done about his neck, whereof is told sithence.
Now they whet their weapons, and the lad thinketh he hath done them a good turn, whereas they have what they needed. So there they abide the night through, and have good cheer.
They ride their ways on the Monday in good weather, and go not hard. Bardi asks of Eric Wide-sight what wise he deemed things would go. He answereth:
"O Lime-tree, upbearer of board of the corpses,
We nineteen together have gone from the Northland;
All over the Heath have we wended together,
And our will is to nourish the bloodfowl with victual.
But, O lad of the steed that is stalled on the rollers,
The steed of the sea-rover Heite, well wot we
That fewer shall wend we our ways from the Southland.
Now the mind of the singer is bent on the battle."
Now they abide there on the Heath night-long, and on the morrow they ride into Copse, and that was about nones of the day; but when they had baited there a while, then ride two men of them down into the peopled parts, as Thorarin had bidden; they came to no homesteads and met no people, but went the mountain way all along till they came to the Bridge, and so at last to Hallward- stead, and saw doings clearly on Goldmead, and saw that there were carles on the meadow, who were mowing, all in their shirts, and it seemed to them that there would be a day's mowing yet to do, even as had been said. So they find the goodman, and fell to talk with him, and asked him of tidings, but neither he nor they had any to tell, and they asked after those horses which they had come to seek, and in search of which men had been sent so oft before. He said he wotted no whit where they were, and bade them, for all he cared, harp on this for ever and ever.
They asked what tidings there might be from the market, and what kind of a throng was there. He said he had not clearly heard what had betid there, and that he deemed it no matter either way. Then they bade him show them the way up along the river to the ford. So did he; and they parted therewith, and they went to meet their fellows and tell them how matters stood; and there they sleep the night away.