Author: H. Rider Haggard
Category: Adventure
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The next scene which comes back to me of those early days is that of thehunting of the white northern bear, when I saved the life of Steinar, myfoster-brother, and nearly lost my own.
It was on a day when the winter was merging into spring, but thecoast-line near Aar was still thick with pack ice and large floes whichhad floated in from the more northern seas. A certain fisherman whodwelt on this shore came to the hall to tell us that he had seen a greatwhite bear on one of these floes, which, he believed, had swum from itto the land. He was a man with a club-foot, and I can recall a visionof him limping across the snow towards the drawbridge of Aar, supportinghimself by a staff on the top of which was cut the figure of someanimal.
"Young lords," he cried out, "there is a white bear on the land, such abear as once I saw when I was a boy. Come out and kill the bear and winhonour, but first give me a drink for my news."
At that time I think my father, Thorvald, was away from home with mostof the men, I do not know why; but Ragnar, Steinar and I were lingeringabout the stead with little or nothing to do, since the time of sowingwas not yet. At the news of the club-footed man, we ran for our spears,and one of us went to tell the only thrall who could be spared to makeready the horses and come with us. Thora, my mother, would have stoppedus--she said she had heard from her father that such bears were verydangerous beasts--but Ragnar only thrust her aside, while I kissed herand told her not to fret.
Outside the hall I met Freydisa, a dark, quiet woman of middle age,one of the virgins of Odin, whom I loved and who loved me and, save oneother, me only among men, for she had been my nurse.
"Whither now, young Olaf?" she asked me. "Has Iduna come here that yourun so fast?"
"No," I answered, "but a white bear has."
"Oh! then things are better than I thought, who feared lest it mightbe Iduna before her time. Still, you go on an ill errand, from which Ithink you will return sadly."
"Why do you say that, Freydisa?" I asked. "Is it just because you loveto croak like a raven on a rock, or for some good reason?"
"I don't know, Olaf," she answered. "I say things because they come tome, and I must, that is all. I tell you that evil will be born of thisbear hunt of yours, and you had better stop at home."
"To be laughed at by my brethren, Freydisa? Moreover, you are foolish,for if evil is to be, how can I avoid it? Either your foresight isnothing or the evil must come."
"That is so," answered Freydisa. "From your childhood up you had thegift of reason which is more than is granted to most of these foolsabout us. Go, Olaf, and meet your fore-ordained evil. Still, kiss mebefore you go lest we should not see each other again for a while. Ifthe bear kills you, at least you will be saved from Iduna."
Now while she said these words I was kissing Freydisa, whom I loveddearly, but when I understood them I leapt back before she could kiss meagain.
"What do you mean by your talk about Iduna?" I asked. "Iduna is mybetrothed, and I'll suffer no ill speech of her."
"I know she is, Olaf. You've got Ragnar's leavings. Although he is sohot-headed, Ragnar is a wise dog in some ways, who can tell what heshould not eat. There, begone, you think me jealous of Iduna, as oldwomen can be, but it's not that, my dear. Oh! you'll learn before all isdone, if you live. Begone, begone! I'll tell you no more. Hark, Ragnaris shouting to you," and she pushed me away.
It was a long ride to where the bear was supposed to be. At first as wewent we talked a great deal, and made a wager as to which of the threeof us should first drive a spear into the beast's body so deep that theblade was hidden, but afterwards I grew silent. Indeed, I was musing somuch of Iduna and how the time drew near when once more I should see hersweet face, wondering also why Ragnar and Freydisa should think so illof her who seemed a goddess rather than a woman, that I forgot all aboutthe bear. So completely did I forget it that when, being by nature veryobservant, I saw the slot of such a beast as we passed a certain birchwood, I did not think to connect it with that which we were hunting orto point it out to the others who were riding ahead of me.
At length we came to the sea, and there, sure enough, saw a greatice-floe, which now and again tilted as the surge caught its broad greenflank. When it tilted towards us we perceived a track worn deep into theice by the paws of the prisoned bear as it had marched endlessly round.Also we saw a big grinning skull, whereon sat a raven picking at theeye-holes, and some fragments of white fur.
"The bear is dead!" exclaimed Ragnar. "Odin's curse be on thatclub-footed fool who gave us this cold ride for nothing."
"Yes, I suppose so," said Steinar doubtfully. "Don't you think that itis dead, Olaf?"
"What is the good of asking Olaf?" broke in Ragnar, with a loud laugh."What does Olaf know about bears? He has been asleep for the lasthalf-hour dreaming of Athalbrand's blue-eyed daughter; or perhaps he ismaking up another poem."
"Olaf sees farther when he seems asleep than some of us do when we areawake," answered Steinar hotly.
"Oh yes," replied Ragnar. "Sleeping or waking, Olaf is perfect in youreyes, for you've drunk the same milk, and that ties you tighter than arope. Wake up, now, brother Olaf, and tell us: Is not the bear dead?"
Then I answered, "Why, of course, a bear is dead; see its skull, alsopieces of its hide?"
"There!" exclaimed Ragnar. "Our family prophet has settled the matter.Let us go home."
"Olaf said that _a_ bear was dead," answered Steinar, hesitating.
Ragnar, who had already swung himself round in his quick fashion, spokeback over his shoulder:
"Isn't that enough for you? Do you want to hunt a skull or the ravensitting on it? Or is this, perchance, one of Olaf's riddles? If so, I amtoo cold to guess riddles just now."
"Yet I think there is one for you to guess, brother," I said gently,"and it is: Where is the live bear hiding? Can't you see that therewere two bears on that ice-head, and that one has killed and eaten theother?"
"How do you know that?" asked Ragnar.
"Because I saw the slot of the second as we passed the birch woodyonder. It has a split claw on the left forefoot and the others are allworn by the ice."
"Then why in Odin's name did you not say so before?" exclaimed Ragnarangrily.
Now I was ashamed to confess that I had been dreaming, so I answered athazard:
"Because I wished to look upon the sea and the floating ice. See whatwondrous colours they take in this light!"
When he heard this, Steinar burst out laughing till tears came into hisblue eyes and his broad shoulders shook. But Ragnar, who cared nothingfor scenery or sunsets, did not laugh. On the contrary, as was usualwith him when vexed, he lost his temper and swore by the more evil ofthe gods. Then he turned on me and said:
"Why not tell the truth at once, Olaf? You are afraid of this beast, andthat's why you let us come on here when you knew it was in the wood. Youhoped that before we got back there it would be too dark to hunt."
At this taunt I flushed and gripped the shaft of my long hunting spear,for among us Northmen to be told that he was afraid of anything was adeadly insult to a man.
"If you were not my brother----" I began, then checked myself, for I wasby nature easy-tempered, and went on: "It is true, Ragnar, I am not sofond of hunting as you are. Still, I think that there will be time tofight this bear and kill or be killed by it, before it grows dark, andif not I will return alone to-morrow morning."
Then I pulled my horse round and rode ahead. As I went, my ears beingvery quick, I heard the other two talking together. At least, I supposethat I heard them; at any rate, I know what they said, although,strangely enough, nothing at all comes back to me of their tale of anattack upon a ship or of what then I did or did not do.
"It is not wise to jeer at Olaf," said Steinar, "for when he is stungwith words he does mad things. Don't you remember what happened whenyour father called him 'niddering' last year because Olaf said it wasnot just to attack the ship of those British men who had been driven toour coast by weather, meaning us no harm?"
> "Aye," answered Ragnar. "He leapt among them all alone as soon as ourboat touched her side, and felled the steersman. Then the British menshouted out that they would not kill so brave a lad, and threw him intothe sea. It cost us that ship, since by the time we had picked him upshe had put about and hoisted her large sail. Oh, Olaf is brave enough,we all know that! Still, he ought to have been born a woman or a priestof Freya who only offers flowers. Also, he knows my tongue and bears nomalice."
"Pray that we get him home safe," said Steinar uneasily, "for if notthere will be trouble with your mother and every other woman in theland, to say nothing of Iduna the Fair."
"Iduna the Fair would live through it," answered Ragnar, with a hardlaugh. "But you are right; and, what is more, there will be troubleamong the men also, especially with my father and in my own heart. Afterall there is but one Olaf."
At this moment I held up my hand, and they stopped talking.