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Updated: June 29, 2025
The name was significant to Sigurd, and a few words more taught him that the lad was his lost nephew. Seeking Reas, he offered him a good price for his two young slaves and took them home with him, bidding Olaf not to tell any one else who he was. The boy was now well-grown, active, and strong for his years.
To return to the story of the boy slaves, the man who had bought them for a ram, soon sold them for a coat and cape to a man named Reas. The new master put Thorgills to hard labor, but took a fancy to Olaf and treated him much more kindly, the young prince remaining with him for six years and growing up to be a handsome and sturdy youth.
"I will give you two silver marks for him," said Sigurd, "and that is the value of a full grown man slave." Reas demurred, looking at Olaf as if regretting that the lad was not more presentable. "No," he said at last. "You will not find such a thrall as he in every day's march. If he were but a little cleaner you would see that he is a very pretty boy. Look at his eyes keen as a young snake's!
A stroke of wit will sometimes produce this effect, but there is no such power or superiority in sense or reas hardly know the professor from the impudent pretender or the mere clown. I have always had this feeling of the inefficacy and slow progress of intellectual compared to mechanical excellence, and it has always made me somewhat dissatisfied.
There was little that I could do with him; so I sold him to a dalesman named Reas, who gave me a very fine rain cloak for him; nor do I rue my bargain, for the cloak is still in use and the lad is scarcely of the value of his food and shelter." "How do men name the lad?" inquired Sigurd. "And whose son is he?" "Whose son he may be is no concern of mine," answered the merchant.
"Nay, he is no chattel of mine," said the merchant. "He is the thrall of goodman Reas, over in Rathsdale a morning's walk from here. If you would deal with him a guide will soon be got to take you over the hill." "Young flesh will keep," returned the warrior. "I will buy the lad next time we come to Esthonia."
There was a frown on his brow, and his blue eyes flashed in quick anger. "I will not go!" he said firmly, and he made a rapid movement to leap over the barrier; but he forgot the wound in his arm, and the pain of it made him so awkward that Reas caught him by his wrists and held him there until Sigurd, springing from his horse, came and put an iron chain round the lad's neck.
Then Sigurd gave Reas the two silver marks in payment of his purchase, and urged his horse to a quick walk, dragging Olaf behind him. Very soon Reas and his straggling farmstead were hidden from sight behind a clump of tall pine trees. Then Sigurd halted at the side of a little stream. "You have done well," he said to Olaf, "in thus coming away with seeming unwillingness.
"This is the boy you mean," said Reas, as Olaf rose and went on with his work "an ill favoured loon you will think him. But had I expected you I should have seen that he had been well washed and decently clothed. If you would have him for hard labour, however, he is at least strong, and I will warrant you that he is healthy, and has no bodily faults.
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