Earl Hakon, in the mean time, hears some whisper that to the westward,
over the Nor
h sea, was a man called Ole, who was looked upon as a king.
From the conversation of some people, he fell upon the suspicion that he
must be of the royal race of Norway. It was, indeed, said that this Ole
was from Russia; but the earl had heard that Trygve Olafson had had a
son called Olaf, who in his infancy had gone east to Gardarike, and had
been brought up by King Valdemar. The earl had carefully inquired about
this man, and had his suspicion that he must be the same person who had
now come to these western countries. The earl had a very good friend
called Thorer Klakka, who had been long upon viking expeditions,
sometimes also upon merchant voyages; so that he was well acquainted all
around. This Thorer Earl Hakon sends over the North sea, and told him to
make a merchant voyage to Dublin, many were in the habit of doing, and
carefully to discover who this Ole was. Provided he got any certainty
that he was Olaf Trygvason, or any other of the Norwegian royal race,
then Thorer should endeavor to ensnare him by some deceit, and bring him
into the earl's power.