In the spring Thorhall procured servants and built a house on his
lands. As the days lengthened out the apparitions became less, until
at midsummer a ship sailed up the Hunavatn in which was a man named
Thorgaut. He was a foreigner, very tall and powerful; he had the
strength of two men. He was travelling on his own account, unattached,
and being without money was looking out for employment. Thorhall rode to
the ship, saw him and asked if he would take service with him. Thorgaut
said he would indeed, and that there would be no difficulties.
"You must be prepared," said Thorhall, "for work which would not be
fitting for a weak-minded person, because of the apparitions which have
been there lately. I will not deceive you about it."
"I shall not give myself up as lost for the ghostlings," he said.
"Before I am scared some others will not be easy. I shall not change my
quarters on that account."
The terms were easily arranged and Thorgaut was engaged for the sheep
during the winter. When the summer had passed away he took over charge
of them, and was on good terms with everybody. Glam continued his rides
on the roofs. Thorgaut thought it very amusing and said the thrall must
come nearer if he wished to frighten him. Thorhall advised him not to
say too much, and said it would be better if they did not come into
conflict.
Thorgaut said: "Surely all the spirit has gone out of you. I shall not
fall dead in the twilight for stories of that sort."
Yule was approaching. On the eve the shepherd went out with his sheep.
The mistress said: "Now I hope that our former experiences will not be
repeated."
"Have no fear for that, mistress," he said. "There will be something
worth telling of if I come not back."
Then he went out to his sheep. The weather was rather cold and there was
a heavy snowstorm. Thorgaut usually returned when it was getting dark,
but this time he did not come. The people went to church as usual, but
they thought matters looked very much as they did on the last occasion.
The bondi wanted them to go out and search for the shepherd, but the
churchgoers cried off, and said they were not going to trust themselves
into the power of trolls in the night; the bondi would not venture out
and there was no search. On Yule day after their meal they went out to
look for the shepherd, and first went to Glam's cairn, feeling sure
that the shepherd's disappearance must be due to him. On approaching the
cairn they saw an awful sight; there was the shepherd, his neck broken,
and every bone in his body torn from its place. They carried him to the
church and no one was molested by Thorgaut.
Glam became more rampageous than ever. He was so riotous that at last
everybody fled from Thorhallsstad, excepting the bondi and his wife.
Thorhall's cowherd had been a long time in his service and he had become
attached to him; for this reason and because he was a careful herdsman
he did not want to part with him. The man was very old and thought it
would be very troublesome to have to leave; he saw, too, that everything
the bondi possessed would be ruined if he did not stay to look after
them. One morning after midwinter the mistress went to the cow-house to
milk the cows as usual. It was then full day, for no one would venture
out of doors till then, except the cowherd, who went directly it
was light. She heard a great crash in the cow-house and tremendous
bellowing. She rushed in, shouting that something awful, she knew not
what, was going on in the cow-house. The bondi went out and found the
cattle all goring each other. It seemed not canny there, so he went into
the shed and there saw the cowherd lying on his back with his head in
one stall and his feet in the other.
He went up and felt him, but saw at once that he was dead with his back
broken. It had been broken over the flat stone which separated the two
stalls. Evidently it was not safe to remain any longer on his estate,
so he fled with everything that he could carry away. All the live-stock
which he left behind was killed by Glam. After that Glam went right up
the valley and raided every farm as far as Tunga, while Thorhall stayed
with his friends during the rest of the winter. No one could venture
up the valley with a horse or a dog, for it was killed at once. As the
spring went on and the sun rose higher in the sky the spook diminished
somewhat, and Thorhall wanted to return to his land, but found it not
easy to get servants. Nevertheless, he went and took up his abode at
Thorhallsstad. Directly the autumn set in, everything began again, and
the disturbances increased. The person most attacked was the bondi's
daughter, who at last died of it. Many things were tried but without
success. It seemed likely that the whole of Vatnsdal would be devastated
unless help could be found.