Emund answered: 'Yet further a while ago happened this, which one may
call tidings. Gauti Tofason went out with five warships by the river
Gaut Elbe; but when he lay by the Eikr Isles, some Danes came there with
five large merchant ships. Gauti and his company soon captured four of
the merchant ships without losing a man, and took great store of wealth;
but the fifth ship escaped out to sea by sailing. Gauti went after that
one ship, and at first gained on it; but soon, as the wind freshened,
the merchant ship went faster. They had got far out to sea, and Gauti
wished to turn back; but a storm came on, and his ship was wrecked on an
island, and all the wealth lost and the more part of the men. Meanwhile
his comrades had had to stay at the Eikr Isles. Then attacked them
fifteen Danish merchant ships, and slew them all, and took all the
wealth which they had before gotten. Such was the end of this
covetousness.'
The King answered: 'Great tidings these, and worth telling; but what is
thy errand hither?'
Emund answered: 'I come, sire, to seek a solution in a difficulty where
our law and Upsala law differ.'