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61. GUNNAR'S DREAM

Now we must go back and say that Gunnar rides east over Thurso
water, but when he had gone a little way from the river, he grew
very drowsy, and bade them lie down and rest there.

They did so. He fell fast asleep, and struggled much as he
slumbered.

Then Kolskegg said, "Gunnar dreams now." But Hjort said, "I
would like to wake him."

"That shall not be," said Kolskegg, "but he shall dream his
dream out."

Gunnar lay, a very long while, and threw off his shield from him,
and he grew very warm. Kolskegg said, "What hast thou dreamt,
kinsman?"

"That have I dreamt," says Gunnar, "which if I had dreamt it
there, I would never have ridden with so few men from Tongue."

"Tell us thy dream," says Kolskegg.

Then Gunnar sang a song:

"Chief, that chargest foes in fight!
Now I fear that I have ridden
Short of men from Tongue, this harvest;
Raven's fast I sure shall break.
Lord, that scatters Ocean's fire! (1)
This, at least, I long to say,
Kite with wolf shall fight for marrow
Ill I dreamt with wandering thought."

"I dreamt, methought, that I was riding on by Knafaholes, and
there I thought I saw many wolves, and they all made at me; but I
turned away from them straight towards Rangriver, and then
methought they pressed hard on me on all sides, but I kept them
at bay, and shot all those that were foremost, till they came so
close to me that I could not use my bow against them. Then I
took my sword, and I smote with it with one hand, but thrust at
them with my bill with the other. Shield myself then I did not,
and methought then I knew not what shielded me. Then I slew many
wolves, and thou, too, Kolskegg; but Hjort methought they pulled
down, and tore open his breast, and one methought had his heart
in his maw; but I grew so wroth that I hewed that wolf asunder
just below the brisket, and after that methought the wolves
turned and fled. Now my counsel is, brother Hjort, that thou
ridest back west to Tongue."

"I will not do that," says Hjort; "though I know my death is
sure, I will stand by thee still."

Then they rode and came east by Knafaholes, and Kolskegg said,
"Seest thou, kinsman! Many spears stand up by the holes, and men
with weapons."

"It does not take me unawares," says Gunnar, "that my dream comes
true."

"What is best to be done now?" says Kolskegg; "I guess thou wilt
not run away from them."

"They shall not have that to jeer about," says Gunnar, "but we
will ride on down to the ness by Rangriver; there is some vantage
ground there."

Now they rode on to the ness, and made them ready there, and as
they rode on past them, Kol called out and said, "Whither art
thou running to now, Gunnar?"

But Kolskegg said, "Say the same thing farther on when this day
has come to an end."

ENDNOTES:

1. "Ocean's fire," a periphrasis for "gold." The whole line is
a periphrasis for "bountiful chief."

62. THE SLAYING OF HJORT AND FOURTEEN MEN

After that Starkad egged on his men, and then they turn down upon
them into the ness. Sigurd Swinehead came first and had a red
targe, but in his other hand he held a cutlass. Gunnar sees him
and shoots an arrow at him from his bow; he held the shield up
aloft when he saw the arrow flying high, and the shaft passes
through the shield and into his eye, and so came out at the nape
of his neck, and that was the first man slain.

A second arrow Gunnar shot at Ulfhedinn, one of Starkad's men,
and that struck him about the middle and he fell at the feet of a
yeoman, and the yeoman over him. Kolskegg cast a stone and
struck the yeoman on the head, and that was his deathblow.

Then Starkad said, "'Twill never answer our end that he should
use his bow, but let us come on well and stoutly." Then each man
egged on the other, and Gunnar guarded himself with his bow and
arrows as long as he could; after that he throws them down, and
then he takes his bill and sword and fights with both hands.
There is long the hardest fight, but still Gunnar and Kolskegg
slew man after man.

Then Thorgeir, Starkad's son, said, "I vowed to bring Hildigunna
thy head, Gunnar."

Then Gunnar sang a song:

"Thou, that battle-sleet down bringeth,
Scarce I trow thou speakest truth;
She, the girl with golden armlets,
Cannot care for such a gift;
But, O serpent's hoard despoiler!
If the maid must have my head --
Maid whose wrist Rhine's fire (1) wreatheth,
Closer come to crash of spear."

"She will not think that so much worth having," says Gunnar; "but
still to get it thou wilt have to come nearer!"

Thorgeir said to his brothers, "Let us run all of us upon him at
once; he has no shield and we shall have his life in our hands."

So Bork and Thorkel both ran forward and were quicker than
Thorgeir. Bork made a blow at Gunnar, and Gunnar threw his bill
so hard in the way, that the sword flew out of Bork's hand; then
he sees Thorkel standing on his other hand within stroke of
sword. Gunnar was standing with his body swayed a little on one
side, and he makes a sweep with his sword, and caught Thorkel on
the neck, and off flew his head.

Kol Egil's son, said, "Let me get at Kolskegg," and turning to
Kolskegg he said, "This I have often said, that we two would be
just about an even match in fight."

"That we can soon prove," says Kolskegg.

Kol thrust at him with his spear; Kolskegg had just slain a man
and had his hands full, and so he could not throw his shield
before the blow, and the thrust came upon his thigh, on the
outside of the limb and went through it.

Kolskegg turned sharp round, and strode towards him, and smote
him with his short sword on the thigh, and cut off his leg, and
said, "Did it touch thee or not?"

"Now," says Kol, "I pay for being bare of my shield."

So he stood a while on his other leg and looked at the stump.

"Thou needest not to look at it," said Kolskegg; "'tis even as
thou seest, the leg is off."

Then Kol fell down dead.

But when Egil sees this, he runs at Gunnar and makes a cut at
him; Gunnar thrusts at him with the bill and struck him in the
middle, and Gunnar hoists him up on the bill and hurls him out
into Rangriver.

Then Starkad said, "Wretch that thou art indeed," Thorir
Easterling, "when thou sittest by; but thy host, and father-in-
law Egil, is slain."

Then the Easterling sprung up and was very wroth. Hjort had been
the death of two men, and the Easterling leapt on him and smote
him full on the breast. Then Hjort fell down dead on the spot.

Gunnar sees this and was swift to smite at the Easterling, and
cuts him asunder at the waist.

A little while after Gunnar hurls the bill at Bork, and struck
him in the middle, and the bill went through him and stuck in the
ground.

Then Kolskegg cut off Hauk Egil's son's head, and Gunnar smites
off Otter's hand at the elbow-joint. Then Starkad said, "Let us
fly now. We have not to do with men!"

Gunnar said, "Ye two will think it a sad story if there is naught
on you to show that ye have both been in the battle."

Then Gunnar ran after Starkad and Thorgeir, and gave them each a
wound. After that they parted; and Gunnar and his brothers had
then wounded many men who got away from the field, but fourteen
lost their lives, and Hjort the fifteenth.

Gunnar brought Hjort home, laid out on his shield, and he was
buried in a cairn there. Many men grieved for him, for he had
many dear friends.

Starkad came home, too, and Hildigunna dressed his wounds and
Thorgeir's, and said, "Ye would have given a great deal not to
have fallen out with Gunnar."

"So we would," says Starkad.

ENDNOTES:

(1) "Rhine's fire," a periphrasis for gold.

63. NJAL'S COUNSEL TO GUNNAR

Steinvor, at Sandgil, besought Thorgrim the Easterling to take in
hand the care of her goods, and not to sail away from Iceland,
and so to keep in mind the death of his messmate and kinsman.

"My messmate Thorir," said he, "foretold that I should fall by
Gunnar's hand if I stayed here in the land, and he must have
foreseen that when he foreknew his own death."

"I will give thee," she says, "Gudruna my daughter to wife, and
all my goods into the bargain."

"I knew not," he said, "that thou wouldest pay such a long
price."

After that they struck the bargain that he shall have her, and
the wedding feast was to be the next summer.

Now Gunnar rides to Bergthorsknoll, and Kolskegg with him. Njal
was out of doors and his sons, and they went to meet Gunnar and
gave them a hearty welcome. After that they fell a-talking, and
Gunnar said, "Hither am I come to seek good counsel and help at
thy hand."

"That is thy due," said Njal.

"I have fallen into a great strait," says Gunnar, "and slain many
men, and I wish to know what thou wilt make of the matter?"

"Many will say this," said Njal, "that thou hast been driven into
it much against thy will; but now thou shalt give me time to take
counsel with myself."

Then Njal went away all by himself, and thought over a plan, and
came back and said, "Now have I thought over the matter somewhat,
and it seems to me as though this must be carried through -- if
it be carried through at all -- with hardihood and daring.
Thorgeir has got my kinswoman Thorfinna with child, and I will
hand over to thee the suit for seduction. Another suit of
outlawry against Starkad I hand over also to thee, for having
hewn trees in my wood on the Threecorner ridge. Both these suits
shalt thou take up. Thou shalt fare too, to the spot where ye
fought, and dig up the dead, and name witnesses to the wounds,
and make all the dead outlaws, for that they came against thee
with that mind to give thee and thy brothers wounds or swift
death. But if this be tried at the Thing, and it be brought up
against thee that thou first gave Thorgeir a blow, and so mayst
neither plead thine own cause nor that of others, then I will
answer in that matter, and say that I gave thee back thy rights
at the Thingskala-Thing, so that thou shouldest be able to plead
thine own suit as well as that of others, and then there will be
an answer to that point. Thou shalt also go to see Tyrfing of
Berianess, and he must hand over to thee a suit against Aunund of
Witchwood, who has the blood feud after his brother Egil."

Then first of all Gunnar rode home; but a few nights after Njal's
sons and Gunnar rode thither where the bodies were, and dug them
up that were buried there. Then Gunnar summoned them all as
outlaws for assault and treachery, and rode home after that.

64. OF VALGARD AND MORD

That same harvest Valgard the Guileful came out to Iceland, and
fared home to Hof. Then Thorgeir went to see Valgard and Mord,
and told them what a strait they were in if Gunnar were to be
allowed to make all those men outlaws whom he had slain.

Valgard said that must be Njal's counsel, and yet everything had
not come out yet which he was likely to have taught him.

Then Thorgeir begged those kinsmen for help and backing, but they
held out a long while, and at last asked for, and got a large sum
of money.

That, too, was part of their plan, that Mord should ask for
Thorkatla, Gizur the White's daughter, and Thorgeir was to ride
at once west across the river with Valgard and Mord.

So the day after they rode twelve of them together and came to
Mossfell. There they were heartily welcomed, and they put the
question to Gizur about the wooing, and the end of it was that
the match should be made, and the wedding feast was to be in half
a month's space at Mossfell.

They ride home, and after that they ride to the wedding and there
was a crowd of guests to meet them, and it went off well.
Thorkatla went home with Mord and took the housekeeping in hand,
but Valgard went abroad again the next summer.

Now Mord eggs on Thorgeir to set his suit on foot against Gunnar,
and Thorgeir went to find Aunund; he bids him now to begin a suit
for manslaughter for his brother Egil and his sons; "but I will
begin one for the manslaughter of my brothers, and for the wounds
of myself and my father."

He said he was quite ready to do that, and then they set out, and
give notice of the manslaughter, and summon nine neighbours who
dwelt nearest to the spot where the deed was done. This
beginning of the suit was heard of at Lithend; and then Gunnar
rides to see Njal, and told him, and asked what he wished them to
do next.

"Now," says Njal, "thou shalt summon those who dwell next to the
spot, and thy neighbours; and call men to witness before the
neighbours, and choose out Kol as the slayer in the manslaughter
of Hjort thy brother: for that is lawful and right; then thou
shalt give notice of the suit for manslaughter at Kol's hand,
though he be dead. Then shalt thou call men to witness, and
summon the neighbours to ride to the Allthing to bear witness of
the fact, whether they, Kol and his companions, were on the spot,
and in onslaught when Hjort was slain. Thou shalt also summon
Thorgeir for the suit of seduction, and Aunund at the suit of
Tyrfing."

Gunnar now did in everything as Njal gave him counsel. This men
thought a strange beginning of suits, and now these matters come
before the Thing. Gunnar rides to the Thing, and Njal's sons and
the sons of Sigfus. Gunnar had sent messengers to his cousins
and kinsmen, that they should ride to the Thing, and come with as
many men as they could, and told them that this matter would lead
to much strife. So they gathered together in a great band from
the west.

Mord rode to the Thing and Runolf of the DaIe, and those under
the Threecorner, and Aunund of Witchwood. But when they come to
the Thing, they join them in one company with Gizur the White and
Geir the Priest.

65. OF FINES AND ATONEMENTS

Gunnar, and the sons of Sigfus, and Njal's sons, went altogether
in one band, and they marched so swiftly and closely that men who
came in their way had to take heed lest they should get a fall;
and nothing was so often spoken about over the whole Thing as
these great lawsuits.

Gunnar went to meet his cousins, and Olaf and his men greeted him
well. They asked Gunnar about the fight, but he told them all
about it, and was just in all he said; he told them, too, what
steps he had taken since.

Then Olaf said,"'Tis worth much to see how close Njal stands by
thee in all counsel."

Gunnar said he should never be able to repay that, but then he
begged them for help; and they said that was his due.

Now the suits on both sides came before the court, and each
pleads his cause.

Mord asked, "How it was that a man could have the right to set a
suit on foot who, like Gunnar, had already made himself an outlaw
by striking Thorgeir a blow?"

"Wast thou," answered Njal, "at Thingskala-Thing last autumn?"

"Surely I was," says Mord.

"Heardest thou," asks Njal, "how Gunnar offered him full
atonement? Then I gave back Gunnar his right to do all lawful
deeds."

"That is right and good law," says Mord, "but how does the matter
stand if Gunnar has laid the slaying of Hjort at Kol's door, when
it was the Easterling that slew him?"

"That was right and lawful," says Njal, "when he chose him as the
slayer before witnesses."

"That was lawful and right, no doubt," says Mord; "but for what
did Gunnar summon them all as outlaws?"

"Thou needest not to ask about that," says Njal, "when they went
out to deal wounds and manslaughter."

"Yes," says Mord, "but neither befell Gunnar."

"Gunnar's brothers," said Njal, "Kolskegg and Hjort, were there,
and one of them got his death and the other a flesh wound."

"Thou speakest nothing but what is law," says Mord, "though it is
hard to abide by it."

Then Hiallti Skeggi's son of Thursodale, stood forth and said. "I
have had no share in any of your lawsuits; but I wish to know
whether thou wilt do something, Gunnar, for the sake of my words
and friendship."

"What askest thou?" says Gunnar.

"This," he says, "that ye lay down the whole suit to the award
and judgment of good men and true."

"If I do so," said Gunnar, "then thou shalt never be against me,
whatever men I may have to deal with."

"I will give my word to that," says Hjallti.

After that he tried his best with Gunnar's adversaries, and
brought it about that they were all set at one again. And after
that each side gave the other pledges of peace; but for
Thorgeir's wound came the suit for seduction, and for the hewing
in the wood, Starkad's wound. Thorgeir's brothers were atoned
for by half fines, but half fell away for the onslaught on
Gunnar. Egil's slaying and Tyrfing's lawsuit were set off
against each other. For Hjort's slaying, the slaying of Kol and
of the Easterling were to come, and as for all the rest, they
were atoned for with half fines.

Njal was in this award, and Asgrim Ellidagrim's son, and Hjallti
Skeggi's son.

Njal had much money out at interest with Starkad, and at Sandgil
too, and he gave it all to Gunnar to make up these fines.

So many friends had Gunnar at the Thing, that he not only paid up
there and then all the fines on the spot, but gave besides gifts
to many chiefs who had lent him help; and he had the greatest
honour from the suit; and all were agreed in this, that no man
was his match in all the South Quarter.

So Gunnar rides home from the Thing and sits there in peace, but
still his adversaries envied him much for his honour.

66. OF THORGEIR OTKELL'S SON

Now we must tell of Thorgeir Otkell's son; he grew up to be a
tall strong man, true-hearted and guileless, but rather too ready
to listen to fair words. He had many friends among the best men,
and was much beloved by his kinsmen.

Once on a time Thorgeir Starkad's son had been to see his kinsman
Mord.

"I can ill brook," he says, "that settlement of matters which we
and Gunnar had, but I have bought thy help so long as we two are
above ground; I wish thou wouldest think out some plan and lay it
deep; this is why I say it right out, because I know that thou
art Gunnar's greatest foe, and he too thine. I will much
increase thine honour if thou takest pains in this matter."

"It will always seem as though I were greedy of gain, but so it
must be. Yet it will be hard to take care that thou mayest not
seem to be a truce-breaker, or peace-breaker, and yet carry out
thy point. But now I have been told that Kolskegg means to try a
suit, and regain a fourth part of Moeidsknoll, which was paid to
thy father as an atonement for his son. He has taken up this
suit for his mother, but this too is Gunnar's counsel, to pay in
goods and not to let the land go. We must wait till this comes
about, and then declare that he has broken the settlement made
with you. He has also taken a cornfield from Thorgeir Otkell's
son, and so broken the settlement with him too. Thou shalt go to
see Thorgeir Otkell's son, and bring him into the matter with
thee, and then fall on Gunnar; but if ye fail in aught of this,
and cannot get him hunted down, still ye shall set on him over
and over again. I must tell thee that Njal has "spaed" his
fortune, and foretold about his life, if he slays more than once
in the same stock, that it would lead him to his death, if it so
fell out that he broke the settlement made after the deed.
Therefore shalt thou bring Thorgeir into the suit, because he has
already slain his father; and now, if ye two are together in an
affray, thou shalt shield thyself; but he will go boldly on, and
then Gunnar will slay him. Then he has slain twice in the same
stock, but thou shalt fly from the fight. And if this is to drag
him to his death he will break the settlement afterwards, and so
we may wait till then."

After that Thorgeir goes home and tells his father secretly.
Then they agreed among themselves that they should work out this
plot by stealth.

67. OF THORGEIR STARKAD'S SON

Sometime after Thorgeir Starkad's son fared to Kirkby to see his
namesake, and they went aside to speak, and talked secretly all
day; but at the end Thorgeir Starkad's son gave his namesake a
spear inlaid with gold, and rode home afterwards; they made the
greatest friendship the one with the other.

At the Thingskala-Thing in the autumn, Kolskegg laid claim to the
land at Moeidsknoll, but Gunnar took witness, and offered ready
money, or another piece of land at a lawful price to those under
the Threecorner.

Thorgeir took witness also, that Gunnar was breaking the
settlement made between them.

After that the Thing was broken up, and so the next year wore
away.

Those namesakes were always meeting, and there was the greatest
friendship between them. Kolskegg spoke to Gunnar and said, "I
am told that there is great friendship between those namesakes,
and it is the talk of many men that they will prove untrue, and I
would that thou wouldst be ware of thyself."

"Death will come to me when it will come," says Gunnar, "wherever
I may be, if that is my fate."

Then they left off talking about it.

About autumn, Gunnar gave out that they would work one week there
at home, and the next down in the isles, and so make an end of
their hay-making. At the same time, he let it be known that
every man would have to leave the house, save himself and the
women.

Thorgeir under Threecorner goes to see his namesake, but as soon
as they met they began to talk after their wont, and Thorgeir
Starkad's son, said, "I would that we could harden our hearts
and fall on Gunnar."

"Well," says Thorgeir Otkell's son, "every struggle with Gunnar
has had but one end, that few have gained the day; besides,
methinks it sounds ill to be called a peace-breaker."

"They have broken the peace, not we," says Thorgeir Starkad's
son. "Gunnar took away from thee thy cornfield; and he has taken
Moeidsknoll from my father and me."

And so they settle it between them to fall on Gunnar; and then
Thorgeir said that Gunnar would be all alone at home in a few
nights' space, "and then thou shalt come to meet me with eleven
men, but I will have as many."

After that Thorgeir rode home.

68. OF NJAL AND THOSE NAMESAKES

Now when Kolskegg and the house-carles had been three nights in
the isles, Thorgeir Starkad's son had news of that, and sends
word to his namesake that he should come to meet him on
Threecorner ridge.

After that Thorgeir of the Threecorner busked him with eleven
men; he rides up on the ridge and there waits for his namesake.

And now Gunnar is at home in his house, and those namesakes ride
into a wood hard by. There such a drowsiness came over them that
they could do naught else but sleep. So they hung their shields
up in the boughs, and tethered their horses, and laid their
weapons by their sides.

Njal was that night up in Thorolfsfell, and could not sleep at
all, but went out and in by turns.

Thorhilda asked Njal why he could not sleep?

"Many things now flit before my eyes," said he; "I see many
fetches of Gunnar's bitter foes, and what is very strange is
this, they seem to be mad with rage, and yet they fare without
plan or purpose."

A little after, a man rode up to the door and got off his horse's
back and went in, and there was come the shepherd of Thorhilda
and her husband.

"Didst thou find the sheep?" she asked.

"I found what might be more worth," said he.

"What was that?" asked Njal.

"I found twenty-four men up in the wood yonder; they had tethered
their horses, but slept themselves. Their shields they had hung
up in the boughs."

But so closely had he looked at them that he told of all their
weapons and wargear and clothes, and then Njal knew plainly who
each of them must have been, and said to him, "'Twere good
hiring if there were many such shepherds; and this shall ever
stand to thy good; but still I will send thee on an errand."

He said at once he would go.

"Thou shalt go," says Njal, "to Lithend and tell Gunnar that he
must fare to Gritwater, and then send after men; but I will go to
meet with those who are in the wood and scare them away. This
thing hath well come to pass, so that they shall gain nothing by
this journey, but lose much."

The shepherd set off and told Gunnar as plainly as he could the
whole story. Then Gunnar rode to Gritwater and summoned men to
him.

Now it is to be told of Njal how he rides to meet these
namesakes.

"Unwarily ye lie here," he says, "or for what end shall this
journey have been made? And Gunnar is not a man to be trifled
with. But if the truth must be told then, this is the greatest
treason. Ye shall also know this, that Gunnar is gathering
force, and he will come here in the twinkling of an eye, and slay
you all, unless ye ride away home."

They bestirred them at once, for they were in great fear, and
took their weapons, and mounted their horses and galloped home
under the Threecorner.

Njal fared to meet Gunnar and bade him not to break up his
company.

"But I will go and seek for an atonement; now they will be finely
frightened; but for this treason no less a sum shall be paid when
one has to deal with all of them, than shall be paid for the
slaying of one or other of those namesakes, though such a thing
should come to pass. This money I will take into my keeping, and
so lay it out that it may be ready to thy hand when thou hast
need of it."

69. OLAF THE PEACOCK'S GIFTS TO GUNNAR

Gunnar thanked Njal for his aid, and Njal rode away under the
Threecorner, and told those namesakes that Gunnar would not break
up his band of men before he had fought it out with them.

They began to offer terms for themselves, and were full of dread,
and bade Njal to come between them with an offer of atonement.

Njal said that could only be if there were no guile behind. Then
they begged him to have a share in the award, and said they would
hold to what he awarded.

Njal said he would make no award unless it were at the Thing, and
unless the best men were by; and they agreed to that.

Then NjaI came between them, so that they gave each other pledges
of peace and atonement.

Njal was to utter the award, and to name as his fellows those
whom he chose.

A little while after those namesakes met Mord Valgard's son, and
Mord blamed them much for having laid the matter in Njal's hands,
when he was Gunnar's great friend. He said that would turn out
ill for them.

Now men ride to the Althing after their wont, and now both sides
are at the Thing.

Njal begged for a hearing, and asked all the best men who were
come thither, what right at law they thought Gunnar had against
those namesakes for their treason. They said they thought such a
man had great right on his side.

Njal went on to ask, whether he had a right of action against all
of them, or whether the leaders had to answer for them all in the
suit?

They say that most of the blame would fall on the leaders, but a
great deal still on them all.

"Many will say this," said Mord, "that it was not without a cause
when Gunnar broke the settlement made with those namesakes."

"That is no breach of settlement," says Njal, "that any man
should take the law against another; for with law shall our land
be built up and settled, and with lawlessness wasted and
spoiled."

Then Njal tells them that Gunnar had offered land for
Moeidsknoll, or other goods.

Then those namesakes thought they had been beguiled by Mord, and
scolded him much, and said that this fine was all his doing.

Njal named twelve men as judges in the suit, and then every man
paid a hundred in silver who had gone out, but each of those
namesakes two hundred.

Njal took this money into his keeping but either side gave the
other pledges of peace, and Njal gave out the terms.

Then Gunnar rode from the Thing west to the Dales, till he came
to Hjardarholt, and Olaf the Peacock gave him a hearty welcome.
There he sat half a month, and rode far and wide about the Dales,
and all welcomed him with joyful hands. But at their parting
Olaf said, "I will give thee three things of price, a gold ring,
and a cloak which Moorkjartan the Erse king owned, and a hound
that was given me in Ireland; he is big, and no worse follower
than a sturdy man. Besides, it is part of his nature that he has
man's wit, and he will bay at every man whom he knows is thy foe,
but never at thy friends; he can see, too, in any man's face,
whether he means thee well or ill, and he will lay down his life
to be true to thee. This hound's name is Sam."

After that he spoke to the hound, "Now shalt thou follow Gunnar,
and do him all the service thou canst."

The hound went at once to Gunnar and laid himself down at his
feet.

Olaf bade Gunnar to be ware of himself, and said he had many
enviers, "For now thou art thought to be a famous man throughout
all the land."

Gunnar thanked him for his gifts and good counsel, and rode home.

Now Gunnar sits at home for sometime, and all is quiet.

70. MORD'S COUNSEL

A little after, those namesakes and Mord met, and they were not
at all of one mind. They thought they had lost much goods for
Mord's sake, but had got nothing in return; and they bade him set
on foot some other plot which might do Gunnar harm.

Mord said so it should be. "But now this is my counsel, that
thou, Thorgeir Otkell's son shouldest beguile Ormilda, Gunnar's
kinswoman; but Gunnar will let his displeasure grow against thee
at that, and then I will spread that story abroad that Gunnar
will not suffer thee to do such things. Then ye two shall some
time after make an attack on Gunnar, but still ye must not seek
him at home, for there is no thinking of that while the hound is
alive."

So they settled this plan among them that it should be brought
about.

Thorgeir began to turn his steps towards Ormilda, and Gunnar
thought that ill, and great dislike arose between them.

So the winter wore away. Now comes the summer, and their secret
meetings went on oftener than before.

As for Thorgeir of the Threecorner and Mord, they were always
meeting; and they plan an onslaught on Gunnar when he rides down
to the isles to see after the work done by his house-caries.

One day Mord was ware of it when Gunnar rode down to the isles,
and sent a man off under the Threecorner to tell Thorgeir that
then would be the likeliest time to try to fall on Gunnar.

They bestirred them at once, and fare thence twelve together, but
when they came to Kirkby there they found thirteen men waiting
for them.

Then they made up their minds to ride down to Rangriver and lie
in wait there for Gunnar.

But when Gunnar rode up from the isles, Kolskegg rode with him.
Gunnar had his bow and his arrows and his bill. Kolskegg had his
short sword and weapons to match.

71. THE SLAYING OF THORGEIR OTKELL'S SON

That token happened as Gunnar and his brother rode up towards
Rangriver, that much blood burst out on the bill.

Kolskegg asked what that might mean.

Gunnar says, "If such tokens took place in other lands, it was
called `wound-drops,' and Master Oliver told me also that this
only happened before great fights."

So they rode on till they saw men sitting by the river on the
other side, and they had tethered their horses.

Gunnar said, "Now we have an ambush."

Kolskegg answered, "Long have they been faithless; but what is
best to be done now?"

"We will gallop up alongside them to the ford," says Gunnar, "and
there make ready for them."

The others saw that and turned at once towards them.

Gunnar strings his bow, and takes his arrows and throws them on
the ground before him, and shoots as soon as ever they come
within shot; by that Gunnar wounded many men, but some he slew.

Then Thorgeir Otkell's son spoke and said, "This is no use; let
us make for him as hard as we can."

They did so, and first went Aunund the Fair, Thorgeir's kinsman.
Gunnar hurled the bill at him, and it fell on his shield and
clove it in twain, but the bill rushed through Aunund. Augmund
Shockhead rushed at Gunnar behind his back. Kolskegg saw that
and cut off at once both Augmund's legs from under him, and
hurled him out into Rangriver, and he was drowned there and then.

Then a hard battle arose; Gunnar cut with one hand and thrust
with the other. Kolskegg slew some men and wounded many.

Thorgeir Starkad's son called out to his namesake, "It looks very
little as though thou hadst a father to avenge."

"True it is," he answers, "that I do not make much way, but yet
thou hast not followed in my footsteps; still I will not bear thy
reproaches."

With that he rushes at Gunnar in great wrath, and thrust his
spear through his shield, and so on through his arm.

Gunnar gave the shield such a sharp twist that the spearhead
broke short off at the socket. Gunnar sees that another man was
come within reach of his sword, and he smites at him and deals
him his death-blow. After that, he clutches his bill with both
hands; just then, Thorgeir Otkell's son had come near him with a
drawn sword, and Gunnar turns on him in great wrath, and drives
the bill through him, and lifts him up aloft, and casts him out
into Rangriver, and he drifts down towards the ford, and stuck
fast there on a stone; and the name of that ford has since been
Thorgeir's ford.

Then Thorgeir Starkad's son said, "Let us fly now; no victory
will be fated to us this time."

So they all turned and fled from the field.

"Let us follow them up now," says Kolskegg "and take thou thy bow
and arrows, and thou wilt come within bowshot of Thorgeir
Starkad's son."

Then Gunnar sang a song:

"Reaver of rich river-treasure,
Plundered will our purses be,
Though to-day we wound no other
Warriors wight in play of spears
Aye, if I for all these sailors
Lowly lying, fines must pay --
This is why I hold my hand,
Hearken, brother dear, to me."_

"Our purses will be emptied," says Gunnar, "by the time that
these are atoned for who now lie here dead."

"Thou wilt never lack money," says Kolskegg; "but Thorgeir will
never leave off before he compasses thy death."

Gunnar sang another song:

"Lord of water-skates (1) that skim
Sea-king's fields, more good as he,
Shedding wounds' red stream, must stand
In my way ere I shall wince.
I, the golden armlets' warder,
Snakelike twined around my wrist,
Ne'er shall shun a foeman's faulchion
Flashing bright in din of fight."

"He, and a few more as good as he," says Gunnar, "must stand in
my path ere I am afraid of them."

After that they ride home and tell the tidings. Hallgerda was
well pleased to hear them, and praised the deed much.

Rannveig said, "May be the deed is good; but somehow," she says,
"I feel too downcast about it to think that good can come of it."

ENDNOTES:

(1) "Water-skates," a periphrasis for ships.

72. OF THE SUITS FOR MANSLAUGHTER AT THE THING

These tidings were spread far and wide, and Thorgeir's death was
a great grief to many a man. Gizur the White and his men rode to
the spot and gave notice of the manslaughter, and called the
neighbours on the inquest to the Thing. Then they rode home
west.

Njal and Gunnar met and talked about the battle. Then Njal said
to Gunnar, "Now be ware of thyself. Now hast thou slain twice in
the same stock; and so now take heed to thy behaviour, and think
that it is as much as thy life is worth, if thou dost not hold to
the settlement that is made."

"Nor do I mean to break it in any way," says Gunnar, "but still I
shall need thy help at the Thing."

"I will hold to my faithfulness to thee," said Njal, "till my
death day."

Then Gunnar rides home. Now the Thing draws near; and each side
gather a great company; and it is a matter of much talk at the
Thing how these suits will end.

Those two, Gizur the White, and Geir the Priest, talked with each
other as to who should give notice of the suit of manslaughter
after Thorgeir, and the end of it was that Gizur took the suit on
his hand, and gave notice of it at the Hill of Laws, and spoke in
these words: --

"I gave notice of a suit for assault laid down by law against
Gunnar Hamond's son; for that he rushed with an onslaught laid
down by law on Thorgeir Otkell's son, and wounded him with a body
wound, which proved a death wound, so that Thorgeir got his
death.

"I say on this charge he ought to become a convicted outlaw, not
to be fed, not to be forwarded, not to be helped or harboured in
any need.

"I say that his goods are forfeited, half to me and half to the
men of the Quarter, whose right it is by law to seize the goods
of outlaws.

"I give notice of this charge in the Quarter Court, into which
this suit ought by law to come.

"I give this lawful notice in the hearing of all men at the Hill
of Laws.

"I give notice now of this suit, and of full forfeiture and
outlawry against Gunnar Hamond's son."

A second time Gizur took witness, and gave notice of a suit
against Gunnar Hamond's son, for that he had wounded Thorgeir
Otkell's son with a body wound which was a death wound, and from
which Thorgeir got his death, on such and such a spot when Gunnar
first sprang on Thorgeir with an onslaught, laid down by law.

After that he gave notice of this declaration as he had done of
the first. Then he asked in what Quarter Court the suit lay, and
in what house in the district the defendant dwelt.

When that was over, men left the Hill of Laws, and all said that
he spoke well.

Gunnar kept himself well in hand and said little or nothing.

Now the Thing wears away till the day when the courts were to be
set.

Then Gunnar stood looking south by the court of the men of
Rangriver, and his men with him.

Gizur stood looking north, and calls his witnesses, and bade
Gunnar to listen to his oath, and to his declaration of the suit,
and to all the steps and proofs which he meant to bring forward.
After that he took his oath, and then he brought forward the suit
in the same shape before the court, as he had given notice of it
before. Then he made them bring forward witness of the notice,
then he bade the neighbours on the inquest to take their seats,
and called upon Gunnar to challenge the inquest.

73. OF THE ATONEMENT

Then Njal spoke and said, "Now I can no longer sit still and take
no part. Let us go to where the neighbours sit on the inquest."

They went thither and challenged four neighbours out of the
inquest, but they called on the five that were left to answer the
following question in Gunnar's favour, "Whether those namesakes
had gone out with that mind to the place of meeting to do Gunnar
a mischief if they could?"

But all bore witness at once that so it was.

Then Njal called this a lawful defence to the suit, and said he
would bring forward proof of it unless they gave over the suit to
arbitration.

Then many chiefs joined in praying for an atonement, and so it
was brought about that twelve men should utter an award in the
matter.

Then either side went and handselled this settlement to the
other. Afterwards the award was made, and the sum to be paid
settled, and it was all to be paid down then and there at the
Thing.

But besides, Gunnar was to go abroad and Kolskegg with him, and
they were to be away three winters; but if Gunnar did not go
abroad when he had a chance of a passage, then he was to be slain
by the kinsmen of those whom he had killed.

Gunnar made no sign, as though he thought the terms of atonement
were not good. He asked Njal for that money which he had handed
over to him to keep. Njal had laid the money out at interest and
paid it down all at once, and it just came to what Gunnar had to
pay for himself.

Now they ride home. Gunnar and Njal rode both together from the
Thing, and then Njal said to Gunnar, "Take good care, messmate,
that thou keepest to this atonement, and bear in mind what we
have spoken about; for though thy former journey abroad brought
thee to great honour, this will be a far greater honour to thee.
Thou wilt come back with great glory, and live to be an old man,
and no man here will then tread on thy heel; but if thou dost not
fare away, and so breakest thy atonement, then thou wilt be slain
here in the land, and that is ill knowing for those who are thy
friends."

Gunnar said he had no mind to break the atonement, and he rides
home and told them of the settlement.

Rannveig said it was well that he fared abroad, for then they
must find some one else to quarrel with.

74. KOLSKEGG GOES ABROAD

Thrain Sigfus' son said to his wife that he meant to fare abroad
that summer. She said that was well. So he took his passage
with Hogni the White.

Gunnar took his passage with Arnfin of the Bay; and Kolskegg was
to go with him.

Grim and Helgi, Njal's sons, asked their father's leave to go
abroad too, and Njal said, "This foreign voyage ye will find hard
work, so hard that it will be doubtful whether ye keep your
lives; but still ye two will get some honour and glory, but it is
not unlikely that a quarrel will arise out of your journey when
ye come back."

Still they kept on asking their father to let them go, and the
end of it was that he bade them go if they chose.

Then they got them a passage with Bard the Black, and Olof
Kettle's son of Elda; and it is the talk of the whole country
that all the better men in that district were leaving it.

By this time Gunnar's sons, Hogni and Grani, were grown up; they
were men of very different turn of mind. Grani had much of his
mother's temper, but Hogni was kind and good.

Gunnar made men bear down the wares of his brother and himself to
the ship, and when all Gunnar's baggage had come down, and the
ship was all but "boun," then Gunnar rides to Bergthorsknoll, and
to other homesteads to see men, and thanked them all for the help
they had given him.

The day after he gets ready early for his journey to the ship,
and told all his people that he would ride away for good and all,
and men took that much to heart, but still they said that they
looked to his coming back afterwards.

Gunnar threw his arms round each of the household when he was
"boun," and every one of them went out of doors with him; he
leans on the butt of his spear and leaps into the saddle, and he
and Kolskegg ride away.

They ride down along Markfleet, and just then Gunnar's horse
tripped and threw him off. He turned with his face up towards
the Lithe and the homestead at Lithend, and said, "Fair is the
Lithe; so fair that it has never seemed to me so fair; the corn
fields are white to harvest and the home mead is mown; and now I
will ride back home, and not fare abroad at all."

"Do not this joy to thy foes," says Kolskegg, "by breaking thy
atonement, for no man could think thou wouldst do thus, and thou
mayst be sure that all will happen as Njal has said."

"I will not go away any whither," said Gunnar, "and so I would
thou shouldest do too."

"That shall not be," says Kolskegg; "I will never do a base thing
in this, nor in any thing else which is left to my good faith;
and this is that one thing that could tear us asunder; but tell
this to my kinsman and to my mother that I never mean to see
Iceland again, for I shall soon learn that thou art dead,
brother, and then there will be nothing left to bring me back."

So they parted there and then. Gunnar rides home to Lithend, but
Kolskegg rides to the ship, and goes abroad.

Hallgerda was glad to see Gunnar when he came home, but his
mother said little or nothing.

How Gunnar sits at home that fall and winter, and had not many
men with him.

Now the winter leaves the farmyard. Olaf the Peacock asked
Gunnar and Hallgerda to come and stay with him; but as for the
farm, to put it into the hands of his mother and his son Hogni.

Gunnar thought that a good thing at first, and agreed to it, but
when it came to the point he would not do it.

But at the Thing next summer, Gizur the White, and Geir the
Priest, gave notice of Gunnar's outlawry at the Hill of Laws; and
before the Thing broke up Gizur summoned all Gunnar's foes to
meet in the "Great Rift." (1) He summoned Starkad under the
Threecorner, and Thorgeir his son; Mord and Valgard the Guileful;
Geir the Priest and Hjalti Skeggi's son; Thorbrand and Asbrand,
Thorleik's sons; Eyjulf, and Aunund his son. Aunund of Witchwood
and Thorgrim the Easterling of Sandgil.

The Gizur spoke and said, "I will make you all this offer, that
we go out against Gunnar this summer and slay him."

"I gave my word to Gunnar," said Hjalti, "here at the Thing,
when he showed himself most willing to yield to my prayer, that I
would never be in any attack upon him; and so it shall be."

Then Hjalti went away, but those who were left behind made up
their minds to make an onslaught on Gunnar, and shook hands on
the bargain, and laid a fine on any one that left the
undertaking.

Mord was to keep watch and spy out when there was the best chance
of falling on him, and they were forty men in this league, and
they thought it would be a light thing for them to hunt down
Gunnar, now that Kolskegg was away, and Thrain and many other of
Gunnar's friends.

Men ride from the Thing, and Njal went to see Gunnar, and told
him of his outlawry, and how an onslaught was planned against
him.

"Methinks thou art the best of friends," says Gunnar; "thou
makest me aware of what is meant."

"Now," says Njal, "I would that Skarphedinn should come to thy
house, and my son Hauskuld; they will lay down their lives for
thy life."

"I will not," says Gunnar, "that thy sons should be slain for my
sake, and thou hast a right to look for other things from me."

"All thy care will come to nothing," says Njal; "quarrels will
turn thitherward where my sons are as soon as thou art dead and
gone."

"That is not unlikely," says Gunnar, "but still it would mislike
me that they fell into them for me; but this one thing I will ask
of thee, that ye see after my son Hogni, but I say naught of
Grani, for he does not behave himself much after my mind."

Njal rode home, and gave his word to do that.

It is said that Gunnar rode to all meetings of men, and to all
lawful Things, and his foes never dared to fall on him.

And so some time went on that he went about as a free and
guiltless man.

ENDNOTES:

(1) "Great Rift," Almannagja -- The great volcanic rift, or
"geo," as it would be called in Orkney and Shetland, which
bounds the plain of the Allthing on one side.

75. THE RIDING TO LITHEND

Next autumn Mord Valgard's son sent word that Gunnar would be all
alone at home, but all his people would be down in the isles to
make an end of their haymaking. Then Gizur the White and Geir
the Priest rode east over the rivers as soon as ever they heard
that, and so east across the sands to Hof. Then they sent word
to Starkad under the Threecorner, and there they all met who were
to fall on Gunnar, and took counsel how they might best bring it
about.

Mord said that they could not come on Gunnar unawares, unless
they seized the farmer who dwelt at the next homestead, whose
name was Thorkell, and made him go against his will with them to
lay hands on the hound Sam, and unless he went before them to the
homestead to do this.

Then they set out east for Lithend, but sent to fetch Thorkell.
They seized him and bound him, and gave him two choices -- one
that they would slay him, or else he must lay hands on the hound;
but he chooses rather to save his life, and went with them.

There was a beaten sunk road, between fences, above the farm yard
at Lithend, and there they halted with their band. Master
Thorkell went up to the homestead, and the tyke lay on the top of
the house, and he entices the dog away with him into a deep
hollow in the path. Just then the hound sees that there are men
before them, and he leaps on Thorkell and tears his belly open.

Aunund of Witchwood smote the hound on the head with his axe, so
that the blade sunk into the brain. The hound gave such a great
howl that they thought it passing strange, and he fell down dead.

76. GUNNAR'S SLAYING

Gunnar woke up in his hall and said, "Thou hast been sorely
treated, Sam, my fosterling, and this warning is so meant that
our two deaths will not be far apart."

Gunnar's hall was made all of wood, and roofed with beams above,
and there were window-slits under the beams that carried the
roof, and they were fitted with shutters.

Gunnar slept in a loft above the hall, and so did Hallgerda and
his mother.

Now when they were come near to the house they knew not whether
Gunnar were at home, and bade that some one would go straight up
to the house and see if he could find out. But the rest sat them
down on the ground.

Thorgrim the Easterling went and began to climb up on the hall;
Gunnar sees that a red kirtle passed before the windowslit, and
thrusts out the bill, and smote him on the middle. Thorgrim's
feet slipped from under him, and he dropped his shield, and down
he toppled from the roof.

Then he goes to Gizur and his band as they sat on the ground.

Gizur looked at him and said, "Well, is Gunnar at home?

"Find that out for yourselves," said Thorgrim; "but this I am
sure of, that his bill is at home," and with that he fell down
dead.

Then they made for the buildings. Gunnar shot out arrows at
them, and made a stout defence, and they could get nothing done.
Then some of them got into the out houses and tried to attack him
thence, but Gunnar found them out with his arrows there also, and
still they could get nothing done.

So it went on for a while, then they took a rest, and made a
second onslaught. Gunnar still shot out at them, and they could
do nothing, and fell off the second time. Then Gizur the White
said, "Let us press on harder; nothing comes of our onslaught."

Then they made a third bout of it, and were long at it, and then
they fell off again.

Gunnar said, "There lies an arrow outside on the wall, and it is
one of their shafts; I will shoot at them with it, and it will be
a shame to them if they get a hurt from their own weapons."

His mother said, "Do not so, my son; nor rouse them again when
they have already fallen off from the attack."

But Gunnar caught up the arrow and shot it after them, and struck
Eylif Aunund's son, and he got a great wound; he was standing all
by himself, and they knew not that he was wounded.

"Out came an arm yonder," says Gizur, "and there was a gold ring
on it, and took an arrow from the roof, and they would not look
outside for shafts if there were enough in doors; and now ye
shall made a fresh onslaught."

"Let us burn him house and all," said Mord.

"That shall never be," says Gizur, "though I knew that my life
lay on it; but it is easy for thee to find out some plan, such a
cunning man as thou art said to be."

Some ropes lay there on the ground, and they were often used to
strengthen the roof. Then Mord said, "Let us take the ropes and
throw one end over the end of the carrying beams, but let us
fasten the other end to these rocks and twist them tight with
levers, and so pull the roof off the hall."

So they took the ropes and all lent a hand to carry this out, and
before Gunnar was aware of it, they had pulled the whole roof off
the hall.

Then Gunnar still shoots with his bow so that they could never
come nigh him. Then Mord said again that they must burn the
house over Gunnar's head. But Gizur said, "I know not why thou
wilt speak of that which no one else wishes, and that shall never
be."

Just then Thorbrand Thorleik's son, sprang up on the roof, and
cuts asunder Gunnar's bowstring. Gunnar clutches the bill with
both hands, and turns on him quickly and drives it through him,
and hurls him down on the ground.

Then up sprung Asbrand his brother. Gunnar thrusts at him with
his bill, and he threw his shield before the blow, but the bill
passed clean through the shield and broke both his arms, and down
he fell from the wall.

Gunnar had already wounded eight men and slain those twain (1).
By that time Gunnar had got two wounds, and all men said that he
never once winced either at wounds or death.

Then Gunnar said to Hallgerda, "Give me two locks of thy hair,
and ye two, my mother and thou, twist them together into a
bowstring for me."

"Does aught lie on it?" she says.

"My life lies on it;" he said; "for they will never come to close
quarters with me if I can keep them off with my bow."

"Well!" she says, "now I will call to thy mind that slap on the
face which thou gavest me; and I care never a whit whether thou
holdest out a long while or a short."

Then Gunnar sang a song:

"Each who hurts the gory javelin
Hath some honour of his own,
Now my helpmeet wimple-hooded
Hurries all my fame to earth.
No one owner of a war-ship
Often asks for little things,
Woman, fond of Frodi's flour (2),
Wends her hand as she is wont."

"Every one has something to boast of," says Gunnar, "and I will
ask thee no more for this."

"Thou behavest ill," said Rannveig, "andthis shame shall long be
had in mind."

Gunnar made a stout and bold defence, and now wounds other eight
men with such sore wounds that many lay at death's door. Gunnar
keeps them all off until he fell worn out with toil. Then they
wounded him with many and great wounds, but still he got away out
of their hands, and held his own against them a while longer, but
at last it came about that they slew him.

Of this defence of his, Thorkell the Skald of Gota-Elf sang in
the verses which follow --

"We have heard how south in Iceland
Gunnar guarded well himself,
Boldly battle's thunder wielding,
Fiercest foeman on the wave;
Hero of the golden collar,
Sixteen with the sword he wounded;
In the shock that Odin loveth,
Two before him tasted death."

But this is what Thormod Olaf's son sang --

"None that scattered sea's bright sunbeams (3),
Won more glorious fame than Gunnar,
So runs fame of old in Iceland,
Fitting fame of heathen men;
Lord of fight when helms were crashing,
Lives of foeman twain he took,
Wielding bitter steel he sorely
Wounded twelve, and four besides."

Then Gizur spoke and said, "We have now laid low to earth a
mighty chief, and hard work has it been, and the fame of this
defence of his shall last as long as men live in this land."

After that he went to see Rannveig and said, "Wilt thou grant us
earth here for two of our men who are dead, that they may lie in
a cairn here?"

"All the more willingly for two," she says, "because I wish with
all my heart I had to grant it to all of you."

"It must be forgiven thee," he says, "to speak thus, for thou
hast had a great loss."

Then he gave orders that no man should spoil or rob anything
there.

After that they went away.

Then Thorgeir Starkad's son said, "We may not be in our house at
home for the sons of Sigfus, unless thou Gizur or thou Geir be
here south some little while."

"This shall be so," says Gizur, and they cast lots, and the lot
fell on Geir to stay behind.

After that he came to the Point, and set up his house there; he
had a son whose name was Hroald; he was base born, and his
mother's name was Biartey (4); he boasted that he had given
Gunnar his death blow. Hroald was at the Point with his father.

Thorgeir Starkad's son boasted of another wound which he had
given to Gunnar.

Gizur sat at home at Mossfell. Gunnar's slaying was heard of,
and ill spoken of throughout the whole country, and his death was
a great grief to many a man.

ENDNOTES:

(1) Thorgrim Easterling and Thorbrand.
(2) "Frodi's flour," a periphrasis for "gold."
(3) "Sea's bright sunbeams," a periphrasis for "gold."
(4) She was a sister of Thorwald the Scurvy, who was slain at
Horsebeck in Grimsness.

77. GUNNAR SINGS A SONG DEAD

Njal could ill brook Gunnar's death, nor could the sons of Sigfus
brook it either.

They asked whether Njal thought they had any right to give notice
of a suit of manslaughter for Gunnar, or to set the suit on foot.

He said that could not be done, as the man had been outlawed; but
said it would be better worth trying to do something to wound
their glory, by slaying some men in vengeance after him.

They cast a cairn over Gunnar, and made him sit upright in the
cairn. Rannveig would not hear of his bill being buried in the
cairn, but said he alone should have it as his own, who was ready
to avenge Gunnar. So no one took the bill.

She was so hard on Hallgerda, that she was on the point of
killing her; and she said that she had been the cause of her
son's slaying.

Then Hallgerda fled away to Gritwater, and her son Grani with
her, and they shared the goods between them; Hogni was to have
the land at Lithend and the homestead on it, but Grani was to
have the land let out on lease.

Now this token happened at Lithend, that the neat-herd and the
serving-maid were driving cattle by Gunnar's cairn. They thought
that he was merry, and that he was singing inside the cairn.
They went home and told Rannveig, Gunnar's mother, of this token,
but she bade them go and tell Njal.

Then they went over to Bergthorsknoll and told Njal, but he made
them tell it three times over.

After that, he had a long talk all alone with Skarphedinn; and
Skarphedinn took his weapons and goes with them to Lithend.

Rannveig and Hogni gave him a hearty welcome, and were very glad
to see him. Rannveig asked him to stay there some time, and he
said he would.

He and Hogni were always together, at home and abroad. Hogni was
a brisk, brave man, well-bred and well-trained in mind and body,
but distrustful and slow to believe what he was told, and that
was why they dared not tell him of the token.

Now those two, Skarphedinn and Hogni, were out of doors one
evening by Gunnar's cairn on the south side. The moon and stars
were shining clear and bright, but every now and then the clouds
drove over them. Then all at once they thought they saw the
cairn standing open, and lo! Gunnar had turned himself in the
cairn and looked at the moon. They thought they saw four lights
burning in the cairn, and none of them threw a shadow. They saw
that Gunnar was merry, and he wore a joyful face. He sang a
song, and so loud, that it might have been heard though they had
been further off.

"He that lavished rings in largesse,
When the fights' red rain-drips fell,
Bright of face, with heart-strings hardy,
Hogni's father met his fate;
Then his brow with helmet shrouding,
Bearing battle-shield, he spake,
`I will die the prop of battle,
Sooner die than yield an inch,
Yes, sooner die than yield an inch."

After that the cairn was shut up again.

"Wouldst thou believe these tokens if Njal or I told them to
thee?" says Skarphedinn.

"I would believe them," he says, "if Njal told them, for it is
said he never lies."

"Such tokens as these mean much," says Skarphedinn, "when he
shows himself to us, he who would sooner die than yield to his
foes; and see how he has taught us what we ought to do."

"I shall be able to bring nothing to pass," says Hogni, "unless
thou wilt stand by me."

"Now," says Skarphedinn, "will I bear in mind how Gunnar behaved
after the slaying of your kinsman Sigmund; now I will yield you
such help as I may. My father gave his word to Gunnar to do that
whenever thou or thy mother had need of it."

After that they go home to Lithend.

78. GUNNAR OF LITHEND AVENGED

"Now we shall set off at once," says Skarphedinn, "this very
night; for if they learn that I am here, they will be more wary
of themselves."

"I will fulfil thy counsel," says Hogni.

After that they took their weapons when all men were in their
beds. Hogni takes down the bill, and it gave a sharp ringing
sound.

Rannveig sprang up in great wrath and said, "Who touches the
bill, when I forbade every one to lay hand on it?"

"I mean," says Hogni, "to bring it to my father, that he may bear
it with him to Valhalla, and have it with him when the warriors
meet."

"Rather shalt thou now bear it," she answered, "and avenge thy
father; for the bill has spoken of one man's death or more."

Then Hogni went out, and told Skarphedinn all the words that his
grandmother had spoken.

After that they fare to the Point, and two ravens flew along with
them all the way. They came to the Point while it was still
night. Then they drove the flock before them up to the house,
and then Hroald and Tjorfi ran out and drove the flock up the
hollow path, and had their weapons with them.

Skarphedinn sprang up and said, "Thou needest not to stand and
think if it be really as it seems. Men are here."

Then Skarphedinn smites Tjorfi his deathblow. Hroald had a spear
in his hand, and Hogni rushes at him; Hroald thrusts at him, but
Hogni hewed asunder the spear-shaft with his bill, and drives the
bill through him.

After that they left them there dead, and turn away thence under
the Threecorner.

Skarphedinn jumps up on the house and plucks the grass, and those
who were inside the house thought it was cattle that had come on
the roof. Starkad and Thorgeir took their weapons and upper
clothing, and went out and round about the fence of the yard.
But when Starkad sees Skarphedinn he was afraid, and wanted to
turn back.

Skarphedinn cut him down by the fence. Then Hogni comes against
Thorgeir and slays him with the bill.

Thence they went to Hof, and Mord was outside in the field, and
begged for mercy, and offered them full atonement.

Skarphedinn told Mord the slaying of those four men, and sang a
song:

"Four who wielded warlike weapons
We have slain, all men of worth,
Them at once, gold-greedy fellow,
Thou shalt follow on the spot;
Let us press this pinch-purse so,
Pouring fear into his heart;
Wretch! reach out to Gunnar's son
Right to settle all disputes."

"And the like journey," says Skarphedinn, "shalt thou also fare,
or hand over to Hogni the right to make his own award, if he will
take these terms."

Hogni said his mind had been made up not to come to any terms
with the slayers of his father; but still at last he took the
right to make his own award from Mord.

79. HOGNI TAKES AN ATONEMENT FOR GUNNAR'S DEATH

Njal took a share in bringing those who had the blood-feud after
Starkad and Thorgeir to take an atonement, and a district meeting
was called together, and men were chosen to make the award, and
every matter was taken into account, even the attack on Gunnar,
though he was an outlaw; but such a fine as was awarded, all that
Mord paid; for they did not close their award against him before
the other matter was already settled, and then they set off one
award against the other.

Then they were all set at one again, but at the Thing there was
great talk, and the end of it was, that Geir the Priest and Hogni
were set at one again, and that atonement they held to ever
afterwards.

Geir the Priest dwelt in the Lithe till his deathday, and he is
out of the story.

Njal asked as a wife for Hogni Alfeida the daughter of Weatherlid
the Skald, and she was given away to him. Their son was Ari, who
sailed for Shetland, and took him a wife there; from him is come
Einar the Shetlander, one of the briskest and boldest of men.

Hogni kept up his friendship with Njal, and he is now out of the
story.

80. OF KOLSKEGG: HOW HE WAS BAPTIZED

Now it is to be told of Kolskegg how he comes to Norway, and is
in the Bay east that winter. But the summer after he fares east
to Denmark, and bound himself to Sweyn Forkbeard the Dane-king,
and there he had great honour.

One night he dreamt that a man came to him; he was bright and
glistening, and he thought he woke him up. He spoke, and said to
him, "Stand up and come with me."

"What wilt thou with me?" he asks.

"I will get thee a bride, and thou shalt be my knight."

He thought he said yea to that, and after that he woke up.

Then he went to a wizard and told him the dream, but he read it
so that he should fare to southern lands and become God's knight.

Kolskegg was baptized in Denmark, but still he could not rest
there, but fared east to Russia, and was there one winter. Then
he fared thence out to Micklegarth (1), and there took service
with the Emperor. The last that was heard of him was, that he
wedded a wife there, and was captain over the Varangians, and
stayed there till his deathday; and he, too, is out of this
story.

ENDNOTES:

(1) Constantinople.

81. OF THRAIN: HOW HE SLEW KOL

Now we must take up the story, and say how Thrain Sigfus' son
came to Norway. They made the land north in Helgeland, and held
on south to Drontheim, and so to Hlada (1). But as soon as Earl
Hacon heard of that, he sent men to them, and would know what men
were in the ship. They came back and told him who the men were.
Then the earl sent for Thrain Sigfus' son, and he went to see
him. The earl asked of what stock he might be. He said that he
was Gunnar of Lithend's near kinsman. The earl said, "That shall
stand thee in good stead; for I have seen many men from Iceland,
but none his match."

"Lord," said Thrain, "is it your will that I should be with you
this winter?"

The earl took to him, and Thrain was there that winter, and was
thought much of.

There was a man named Kol, he was a great sea-rover. He was the
son of Asmund Ashside, east out of Smoland. He lay east in the
Gota-Elf, and had five ships, and much force.

Thence Kol steered his course out of the river to Norway and
landed at Fold (2), in the bight of the "Bay," and came on
Hallvard Soti unawares, and found him in a loft. He kept them
off bravely till they set fire to the house, then he gave himself
up; but they slew him, and took there much goods, and sailed
thence to Lodese (3).

Earl Hacon heard these tidings, and made them make Kol an outlaw
over all his realm, and set a price upon his head.

Once on a time it so happened that the earl began to speak thus,
"Too far off from us now is Gunnar of Lithend. He would slay my
outlaw if he were here; but now the Icelanders will slay him, and
it is ill that he hath not fared to us."

Then Thrain Sigfus' son answered, "I am not Gunnar, but still I
am near akin to him, and I will undertake this voyage."

The earl said, "I should be glad of that, and thou shalt be very
well fitted out for the journey."

After that his son Eric began to speak, and said, "Your word,
father, is good to many men, but fulfilling it is quite another
thing. This is the hardest undertaking; for this sea-rover is
tough and ill to deal with, wherefore thou wilt need to take
great pains, both as to men and ships for this voyage."

Thrain said, "I will set out on this voyage, though it looks
ugly."

After that the earl gave him five ships, and all well trimmed
and manned. Along with Thrain was Gunnar Lambi's son, and Lambi
Sigurd's son. Gunnar was Thrain's brother's son, and had come to
him young, and each loved the other much.

Eric, the earl's son, went heartily along with them, and looked
after strength for them, both in men and weapons and made such
changes in them as he thought were needful. After they were
"boun," Eric got them a pilot. Then they sailed south along the
land; but wherever they came to land, the earl allowed them to
deal with whatever they needed as their own.

So they held on east to Lodese, and then they heard that Kol was
gone to Denmark. Then they shaped their course south thither;
but when they came south to Helsingborg, they met men in a boat
who said that Kol was there just before them, and would be
staying there for a while.

One day when the weather was good, Kol saw the ships as they
sailed up towards him, and said he had dreamt of Earl Hacon the
night before, and told his people he was sure these must be his
men, and bade them all to take their weapons.

After that they busked them, and a fight arose; and they fought
long, so that neither side had the mastery.

Then Kol sprang up on Thrain's ship, and cleared the gangways
fast, and slays many men. He had a gilded helm.

Now Thrain sees that this is no good, and now he eggs on his men
to go along with him, but he himself goes first and meets Kol.

Kol hews at him, and the blow fell on Thrain's shield, and cleft
it down from top to bottom. Then Kol got a blow on the arm, from
a stone and then down fell his sword.

Thrain hews at Kol, and the stroke came on his leg so that it cut
it off. After that they slew Kol, and Thrain cut off his head,
and they threw the trunk overboard, but kept his head.

They took much spoil, and then they held on north to Drontheim,
and go to see the earl.

The earl gave Thrain a hearty welcome, and he shewed the earl
Kol's head, but the earl thanked him for that deed.

Eric said it was worth more than words alone, and the earl said
so it was, and bade them come along with him.

They went thither, where the earl had made them make a good ship
that was not made like a common long-ship. It had a vulture's
head, and was much carved and painted.

"Thou art a great man for show, Thrain," said the earl, "and so
have both of you, kinsmen, been, Gunnar and thou; and now I will
give thee this ship, but it is called the Vulture. Along with it
shall go my friendship; and my will is that thou stayest with me
as long as thou wilt."

He thanked him for his goodness, and said he had no longing to go
to Iceland just yet.

The earl had a journey to make to the marches of the land to meet
the Swede-king. Thrain went with him that summer, and was a
shipmaster and steered the Vulture, and sailed so fast that few
could keep up with him, and he was much envied. But it always
came out that the earl laid great store on Gunnar, for he set
down sternly all who tried Thrain's temper.

So Thrain was all that winter with the earl, but next spring the
earl asked Thrain whether he would stay there or fare to Iceland;
but Thrain said he had not yet made up his mind, and said that he
wished first to know tidings from Iceland.

The earl said that so it should be as he thought it suited him
best; and Thrain was with the earl.

Then those tidings were heard from Iceland, which many thought
great news, the death of Gunnar of Lithend. Then the earl would
not that Thrain should fare out of Iceland, and so there he
stayed with him.

ENDNOTES:

(1) Hlada or Lada, and sometimes in the plural Ladir, was the
old capital of Drontheim, before Nidaros -- the present
Drontheim -- was founded. Drontheim was originally the name
of the country round the firth of the same name, and is not
used in the old sagas for a town.
(2) The country round the Christiania Firth, at the top of "the
Bay."
(3) A town in Sweden on the Gota-Elf.

82. NJAL'S SONS SAIL ABROAD

Now it must be told how Njal's sons, Grim and Helgi, left Iceland
the same summer that Thrain and his fellows went away; and in the
ship with them were Olaf Kettle's son of Elda, and Bard the
Black. They got so strong a wind from the north that they were
driven south into the main; and so thick a mist came over them
that they could not tell whither they were driving, and they were
out a long while. At last they came to where was a great ground
sea, and thought then they must be near land. So then Njal's
sons asked Bard if he could tell at all to what land they were
likely to be nearest.

"Many lands there are," said he, "which we might hit with the
weather we have had -- the Orkneys, or Scotland, or Ireland."

Two nights after, they saw land on both boards, and a great
surf running up in the firth. They cast anchor outside the
breakers, and the wind began to fall; and next morning it was
calm. Then they see thirteen ships coming out to them.

Then Bard spoke and said, "What counsel shall we take now, for
these men are going to make an onslaught on us?"

So they took counsel whether they should defend themselves or
yield, but before they could make up their minds, the Vikings
were upon them. Then each side asked the other their names, and
what their leaders were called. So the leaders of the chapmen
told their names, and asked back who led that host. One called
himself Gritgard, and the other Snowcolf, sons of Moldan of
Duncansby in Scotland, kinsmen of Malcolm the Scot king.

"And now," says Gritgard, "we have laid down two choices, one
that ye go on shore, and we will take your goods; the other is,
that we fall on you and slay every man that we can catch."

"The will of the chapmen," answers Helgi, "is to defend
themselves."

But the chapmen called out, "Wretch that thou art to speak thus!
What defence can we make? Lading is less than life."

But Grim, he fell upon a plan to shout out to the Vikings, and
would not let them hear the bad choice of the chapmen.

Then Bard and Olaf said, "Think ye not that these Icelanders will
make game of you sluggards; take rather your weapons and guard
your goods."

So they all seized their weapons, and bound themselves, one with
another, never to give up so long as they had strength to fight.

83. OF KARI SOLMUND'S SON

Then the Vikings shot at them and the fight began, and the
chapmen guard themselves well. Snowcolf sprang aboard and at
Olaf, and thrust his spear through his body, but Grim thrust at
Snowcolf with his spear, and so stoutly, that he fell overboard.
Then Helgi turned to meet Grim, and they two drove down all the
Vikings as they tried to board, and Njal's sons were ever where
there was most need. Then the Vikings called out to the chapmen
and bade them give up, but they said they would never yield.
Just then some one looked seaward, and there they see ships
coming from the south round the Ness, and they were not fewer
than ten, and they row hard and steer thitherwards. Along their
sides were shield on shield, but on that ship that came first
stood a man by the mast, who was clad in a silken kirtle, and had
a gilded helm, and his hair was both fair and thick; that man had
a spear inlaid with gold in his hand.

He asked, "Who have here such an uneven game?"

Helgi tells his name, and said that against them are Gritgard and
Snowcolf.

"But who are your captains?" he asks.

Helgi answered, "Bard the Black, who lives, but the other, who
is dead and gone, was called Olaf."

"Are ye men from Iceland?" says he.

"Sure enough we are," Helgi answers.

He asked whose sons they were, and they told him, then he knew
them and said, "Well known names have ye all, father and sons
both.

"Who art thou?" asks Helgi.

"My name is Kari, and I am Solmund's son."

"Whence comest thou?" says Helgi.

"From the Southern Isles."

"Then thou art welcome," says Helgi, "if thou wilt give us a
little help."

"I'll give ye all the help ye need," says Kari; "but what do
ye ask?"

"To fall on them," says Helgi.

Kari says that so it shall be. So they pulled up to them, and
then the battle began the second time; but when they had fought a
little while, Kari springs up on Snowcolf's ship; he turns to
meet him and smites at him with his sword. Kari leaps nimbly
backwards over a beam that lay athwart the ship, and Snowcolf
smote the beam so that both edges of the sword were hidden. Then
Kari smites at him, and the sword fell on his shoulder, and the
stroke was so mighty that he cleft in twain shoulder, arm, and
all, and Snowcolf got his death there and then. Gritgard hurled
a spear at Kari, but Kari saw it and sprang up aloft, and the
spear missed him. Just then Helgi and Grim came up both to meet
Kari, and Helgi springs on Gritgard and thrusts his spear through
him, and that was his death blow; after that they went round the
whole ship on both boards, and then men begged for mercy. So
they gave them all peace, but took all their goods. After that
they ran all the ships out under the islands.

84. OF EARL SIGURD

Sigurd was the name of an earl who ruled over the Orkneys; he was
the son of Hlodver, the son of Thorfinn the skullsplitter, the
son of Turf-Einar, the son of Rognvald, Earl of Moeren, the son
of Eystein the Noisy. Kari was one of Earl Sigurd's body-guard,
and had just been gathering scatts in the Southern Isles from
Earl Gilli. Now Kari asks them to go to Hrossey (1), and said
the earl would take to them well. They agreed to that, and went
with Kari and came to Hrossey. Kari led them to see the earl,
and said what men they were.

"How came they," says the earl, "to fall upon thee?"

"I found them," says Kari, "in Scotland's firths, and they were
fighting with the sons of Earl Moldan, and held their own so well
that they threw themselves about between the bulwarks, from side
to side, and were always there where the trial was greatest, and
now I ask you to give them quarters among your body-guard."

"It shall be as thou choosest," says the earl, "thou hast already
taken them so much by the hand."

Then they were there with the earl that winter, and were worthily
treated, but Helgi was silent as the winter wore on. The earl
could not tell what was at the bottom of that, and asked why he
was so silent, and what was on his mind. "Thinkest thou it not
good to be here?"

"Good, methinks, it is here," he says.

"Then what art thou thinking about?" asks the earl.

"Hast thou any realm to guard in Scotland?" asks Helgi.

"So we think," says the earl, "but what makes thee think about
that, or what is the matter with it?"

"The Scots," says Helgi, "must have taken your steward's life,
and stopped all the messengers, that none should cross the
Pentland Firth."

"Hast thou the second sight?" said the earl.

"That has been little proved," answers Helgi.

"Well," says the earl, "I will increase thy honour if this be so,
otherwise thou shalt smart for it."

"Nay," says Kari, "Helgi is not that kind of man, and like enough
his words are sooth, for his father has the second sight."

After that the earl sent men south to Straumey (2) to Arnljot,
his steward there, and after that Arnljot sent them across the
Pentland Firth, and they spied out and learnt that Earl Hundi and
Earl Melsnati had taken the life of Havard in Thraswick, Earl
Sigurd's brother-in-law. So Arnljot sent word to Earl Sigurd to
come south with a great host and drive those earls out of his
realm, and as soon as the earl heard that, he gathered together a
mighty host from all the isles.

ENDNOTES:

(1) The mainland of Orkney, now Pomona.
(2) Now Stroma, in the Pentland Firth.

85. THE BATTLE WITH THE EARLS

After that the earl set out south with his host, and Kari went
with him, and Njal's sons too. They came south to Caithness.
The earl had these realms in Scotland, Ross and Moray,
Sutherland, and the Dales. There came to meet them men from
those realms, and said that the earls were a short way off with a
great host. Then Earl Sigurd turns his host thither, and the
name of that place is Duncansness above which they met, and it
came to a great battle between them. Now the Scots had let some
of their host go free from the main battle, and these took the
earl's men in flank, and many men fell there till Njal's sons
turned against the foe, and fought with them and put them to
flight; but still it was a hard fight, and then Njal's sons
turned back to the front by the earl's standard, and fought well.
Now Kari turns to meet Earl Melsnati, and Melsnati hurled a spear
at him, but Kari caught the spear and threw it back and through
the earl. Then Earl Hundi fled, but they chased the fleers until
they learnt that Malcolm was gathering a host at Duncansby. Then
the earl took counsel with his men, and it seemed to all the best
plan to turn back, and not to fight with such a mighty land
force; so they turned back. But when the earl came to Staumey
they shared the battle-spoil. After that he went north to
Hrossey, and Njal's sons and Kari followed him. Then the earl
made a great feast, and at that feast he gave Kari a good sword,
and a spear inlaid with gold; but he gave Helgi a gold ring and a
mantle, and Grim a shield and sword. After that he took Helgi
and Grim into his body-guard, and thanked them for their good
help. They were with the earl that winter and the summer after,
till Kari went sea-roving; then they went with him, and harried
far and wide that summer, and everywhere won the victory. They
fought against Godred, King of Man, and conquered him; and after
that they fared back, and had gotten much goods. Next winter
they were still with the earl, and when the spring came Njal's
sons asked leave to go to Norway. The earl said they should go
or not as they pleased, and he gave them a good ship and smart
men. As for Kari, he said he must come that summer to Norway
with Earl Hacon's scatts, and then they would meet; and so it
fell out that they gave each other their word to meet. After
that Njal's sons put out to sea and sailed for Norway, and made
the land north near Drontheim.

86. HRAPP'S VOYAGE FROM ICELAND

There was a man named Kolbein, and his surname was Arnljot's son;
he was a man from Drontheim; he sailed out to Iceland that same
summer in which Kolskegg and Njal's sons went abroad. He was
that winter east in Broaddale; but the spring after, he made his
ship ready for sea in Gautawick; and when men were almost "boun,"
a man rowed up to them in a boat, and made the boat fast to the
ship, and afterwards he went on board the ship to see Kolbein.

Kolbein asked that man for his name.

"My name is Hrapp," says he.

"What wilt thou with me?" says Kolbein.

"I wish to ask thee to put me across the Iceland main."

"Whose son art thou?" asks Kolbein.

"I am a son of Aurgunleid, the son of Geirolf the Fighter."

"What need lies on thee," asked Kolbein, "to drive thee abroad?"

"I have slain a man," says Hrapp.

"What manslaughter was that," says Kolbein, "and what men have
the blood-feud?"

"The men of Weaponfirth," says Hrapp, "but the man I slew was
Aurlyg, the son of Aurlyg, the son of Roger the White."

"I guess this," says Kolbein, "that he will have the worst of it
who bears thee abroad."

"I am the friend of my friend," said Hrapp, "but when ill is done
to me I repay it. Nor am I short of money to lay down for my
passage."

Then Kolbein took Hrapp on board, and a little while after a fair
breeze sprung up, and they sailed away on the sea.

Hrapp ran short of food at sea and then he sate him down at the
mess of those who were nearest to him. They sprang up with ill
words, and so it was that they came to blows, and Hrapp, in a
trice, has two men under him.

Then Kolbein was told, and he bade Hrapp to come and share his
mess, and he accepted that.

Now they come off the sea, and lie outside off Agdirness.

Then Kolbein asked where that money was which he had offered to
pay for his fare?

"It is out in Iceland," answers Hrapp.

"Thou wilt beguile more men than me, I fear," says Kolbein; "but
now I will forgive thee all the fare."

Hrapp bade him have thanks for that. "But what counsel dost thou
give as to what I ought to do?"

"That first of all," he says, "that thou goest from the ship as
soon as ever thou canst, for all Easterlings will bear thee bad
witness; but there is yet another bit of good counsel which I
will give thee, and that is, never to cheat thy master."

Then Hrapp went on shore with his weapons, and he had a great axe
with an iron-bound haft in his hand.

He fares on and on till he comes to Gudbrand of the Dale. He was
the greatest friend of Earl Hacon. They two had a shrine between
them, and it was never opened but when the earl came thither.
That was the second greatest shrine in Norway, but the other was
at Hlada.

Thrand was the name of Gudbrand's son, but his daughter's name
was Gudruna.

Hrapp went in before Gudbrand, and hailed him well.

He asked whence he came and what was his name. Hrapp told him
about himself, and how he had sailed abroad from Iceland.

After that he asks Gudbrand to take him into his household as a
guest.

"It does not seem," said Gudbrand, "to look on thee, as thou wert
a man to bring good luck."

"Methinks, then," says Hrapp, "that all I have heard about thee
has been great lies; for it is said that thou takest every one
into thy house that asks thee; and that no man is thy match for
goodness and kindness, far or near; but now I shall have to speak
against that saying, if thou dost not take me in."

"Well, thou shalt stay here," said Gudbrand.

"To what seat wilt thou shew me?" says Hrapp.

"To one on the lower bench, over against my high seat."

Then Hrapp went and took his seat. He was able to tell of many
things, and so it was at first that Gudbrand and many thought it
sport to listen to him; but still it came about that most men
thought him too much given to mocking, and the end of it was that
he took to talking alone with Gudruna, so that many said that he
meant to beguile her.

But when Gudbrand was aware of that, he scolded her much for
daring to talk alone with him, and bade her beware of speaking
aught to him if the whole household did not hear it. She gave
her word to be good at first, but still it was soon the old story
over again as to their talk. Then Gudbrand got Asvard, his
overseer, to go about with her, out of doors and in, and to be
with her wherever she went. One day it happened that she begged
for leave to go into the nutwood for a pastime, and Asvard went
along with her. Hrapp goes to seek for them and found them, and
took her by the hand, and led her away alone.

Then Asvard went to look for her, and found them both together
stretched on the grass in a thicket.

He rushes at them, axe in air, and smote at Hrapp's leg, but
Hrapp gave himself a sudden turn, and he missed him. Hrapp
springs on his feet as quick as he can, and caught up his axe.
Then Asvard wished to turn and get away, but Hrapp hewed asunder
his back-bone.

Then Gudruna said, "Now hast thou done that deed which will
hinder thy stay any longer with my father; but still there is
something behind which he will like still less, for I go with
child."

"He shall not learn this from others," says Hrapp, "but I will go
home and tell him both these tidings."

"Then," she says, "thou wilt not come away with thy life."

"I will run the risk of that," he says.

After that he sees her back to the other women, but he went home.
Gudbrand sat in his high seat, and there were few men in the
room.

Hrapp went in before him, and bore his axe high.

"Why is thine axe bloody?" asks Gudbrand.

"I made it so by doing a piece of work on thy overseer Asvard's
back," says Hrapp.

"That can be no good work," says Gudbrand; "thou must have slain
him."

"So it is, be sure," says Hrapp.

"What did ye fall out about?" asks Gudbrand.

"Oh!" says Hrapp, "what you would think small cause enough. He
wanted to hew off my leg."

"What hadst thou done first?" asked Gudbrand.

"What he had no right to meddle with," says Hrapp.

"Still thou wilt tell me what it was."

"Well!" said Hrapp, "if thou must know, I lay by thy daughter's
side, and he thought that bad."

"Up men!" cried Gudbrand, "and take him. He shall be slain out
of hand."

"Very little good wilt thou let me reap of my son-in-lawship,"
says Hrapp, "but thou hast not so many men at thy back as to do
that speedily."

Up they rose, but he sprang out of doors. They run after him,
but he got away to the wood, and they could not lay hold of him.

Then Gudbrand gathers people, and lets the wood be searched; but
they find him not, for the wood was great and thick.

Hrapp fares through the wood till he came to a clearing; there he
found a house, and saw a man outside cleaving wood.

He asked that man for his name, and he said his name was Tofi.

Tofi asked him for his name in turn, and Hrapp told him his true
name.

Hrapp asked why the householder had set up his abode so far from
other men?

"For that here," he says, "I think I am less likely to have
brawls with other men."

"It is strange how we beat about the bush in our talk," says
Hrapp, "but I will first tell thee who I am. I have been with
Gudbrand of the Dale, but I ran away thence because I slew his
overseer; but now I know that we are both of us bad men; for thou
wouldst not have come hither away from other men unless thou wert
some man's outlaw. And now I give thee two choices, either that
I will tell where thou art, or that we two have between us, share
and share alike, all that is here."

"This is even as thou savest," said the householder; "I seized
and carried off this woman who is here with me, and many men have
sought for me."

Then he led Hrapp in with him; there was a small house there, but
well built.

The master of the house told his mistress that he had taken Hrapp
into his company.

"Most men will get ill luck from this man," she says; "but thou
wilt have thy way."

So Hrapp was there after that. He was a great wanderer, and was
never at home. He still brings about meetings with Gudruna; her
father and brother, Thrand and Gudbrand, lay in wait for him, but
they could never get nigh him, and so all that year passed away.

Gudbrand sent and told Earl Hacon what trouble he had had with
Hrapp, and the earl let him be made an outlaw, and laid a price
upon his head. He said, too, that he would go himself to look
after him; but that passed off, and the earl thought it easy
enough for them to catch him when he went about so unwarily.

87. THRAIN TOOK TO HRAPP

That same summer Njal's sons fared to Norway from the Orkneys, as
was before written, and they were there at the fair during the
summer. Then Thrain Sigfus' son busked his ship for Iceland, and
was all but "boun." At that time Earl Hacon went to a feast at
Gudbrand's house. That night Killing-Hrapp came to the shrine of
Earl Hacon and Gudbrand, and he went inside the house, and there
he saw Thorgerda Shrinebride sitting, and she was as tall as a
fullgrown man. She had a great gold ring on her arm, and a
wimple on her head; he strips her of her wimple, and takes the
gold ring from off her. Then he sees Thor's car, and takes from
him a second gold ring; a third he took from Irpa; and then
dragged them all out, and spoiled them of all their gear.

After that he laid fire to the shrine, and burnt it down, and
then he goes away just as it began to dawn. He walks across a
ploughed field, and there six men sprang up with weapons, and
fall upon him at once; but he made a stout defence, and the end
of the business was that he slays three men, but wounds Thrand to
the death, and drives two to the woods, so that they could bear
no news to the earl. He then went up to Thrand and said, "It is
now in my power to slay thee if I will, but I will not do that;
and now I will set more store by the ties that are between us
than ye have shown to me."

Now Hrapp means to turn back to the wood, but now he sees that
men have come between him and the wood, so he dares not venture
to turn thither, but lays him down in a thicket, and so lies
there a while.

Earl Hacon and Gudbrand went that morning early to the shrine and
found it burnt down; but the three gods were outside, stripped of
all their bravery.

Then Gudbrand began to speak, and said, "Much might is given to
our gods, when here they have walked of themselves out of the
fire!"

"The gods can have naught to do with it," says the earl; "a man
must have burnt the shrine, and borne the gods out; but the gods
do not avenge everything on the spot. That man who has done this
will no doubt be driven away out of Valhalla, and never come in
thither."

Just then up ran four of the earl's men, and told them ill
tidings for they said they had found three men slain in the
field, and Thrand wounded to the death.

"Who can have done this?" says the earl.

"Killing-Hrapp," they say.

"Then he must have burnt down the shrine," says the earl.

They said they thought he was like enough to have done it.

"And where may he be now?" says the earl.

They said that Thrand had told them that he had lain down in a
thicket.

The earl goes thither to look for him, but Hrapp was off and
away. Then the earl set his men to search for him, but still
they could not find him. So the earl was in the hue and cry
himself, but first he bade them rest a while.

Then the earl went aside by himself, away from other men, and
bade that no man should follow him, and so he stays a while. He
fell down on both his knees, and held his hands before his eyes;
after that he went back to them, and then he said to them, "Come
with me."

So they went along with him. He turns short away from the path
on which they had walked before, and they came to a dell. There
up sprang Hrapp before them, and there it was that he had hidden
himself at first.

The earl urges on his men to run after him, but Hrapp was so
swift-footed that they never came near him. Hrapp made for
Hlada. There both Thrain and Njal's sons lay "boun" for sea at
the same time. Hrapp runs to where Njal's sons are.

"Help me, like good men and true," he said, "for the earl will
slay me."

Helgi looked at him, and said, "Thou lookest like an unlucky man,
and the man who will not take thee in will have the best of it."

"Would that the worst might befall you from me," says Hrapp.

"I am the man," says Helgi, "to avenge me on thee for this as
time rolls on."

Then Hrapp turned to Thrain Sigfus' son, and bade him shelter
him.

"What hast thou on thy hand?" says Thrain.

"I have burnt a shrine under the earl's eyes, and slain some men,
and now he will be here speedily, for he has joined in the hue
and cry himself."

"It hardly beseems me to do this," says Thrain, "when the earl
has done me so much good."

Then he shewed Thrain the precious things which he had borne out
of the shrine, and offered to give him the goods, but Thrain said
he could not take them unless he gave him other goods of the same
worth for them.

"Then," said Hrapp, "here will I take my stand, and here shall
I be slain before thine eyes, and then thou wilt have to abide by
every man's blame."

Then they see the earl and his band of men coming, and then
Thrain took Hrapp under his safeguard, and let them shove off the
boat, and put out to his ship.

Then Thrain said, "Now this will be thy best hiding place, to
knock out the bottoms of two casks, and then thou shalt get into
them."

So it was done, and he got into the casks, and then they were
lashed together, and lowered overboard.

Then comes the earl with his band to Njal's sons, and asked if
Hrapp had come there.

They said that he had come.

The earl asked whither he had gone thence?

They said they had not kept eyes on him, and could not say.

"He," said the earl, "should have great honour from me who would
tell me where Hrapp was."

Then Grim said softly to Helgi, "Why should we not say, What know
I whether Thrain will repay us with any good?"

"We should not tell a whit more for that," says Helgi, "when his
life lies at stake."

"May be," said Grim, "the earl will turn his vengeance on us,
for he is so wroth that some one will have to fall before him."

"That must not move us," says Helgi, "but still we will pull our
ship out, and so away to sea as soon as ever we get a wind."

So they rowed out under an isle that lay there, and wait there
for a fair breeze.

The earl went about among the sailors, and tried them all, but
they, one and all, denied that they knew aught of Hrapp.

Then the earl said, "Now we will go to Thrain, my brother in
arms, and he will give Hrapp up, if he knows anything of him."

After that they took a long-ship and went off to the merchant
ship.

Thrain sees the earl coming, and stands up and greets him kindly.
The earl took his greeting well and spoke thus, -- "We are
seeking for a man whose name is Hrapp, and he is an Icelander.
He has done us all kind of ill; and now we will ask you to be
good enough to give him up, or to tell us where he is."

"Ye know, lord," said Thrain, "that I slew your outlaw, and
then put my fife in peril, and for that I had of you great
honour."

"More honour shalt thou now have," says the earl.

Now Thrain thought within himself, and could not make up his mind
how the earl would take it, so he denies that Hrapp is here, and
bade the earl to look for him. He spent little time on that, and
went on land alone, away from other men, and was then very wroth,
so that no man dared to speak to him.

"Shew me to Njal's sons," said the earl, "and I will force them
to tell me the truth."

Then he was told that they had put out of the harbour.

"Then there is no help for it," says the earl, "but still there
were two water-casks alongside of Thrain's ship, and in them a
man may well have been hid, and if Thrain has bidden him, there
he must be; and now we will go a second time to see Thrain."

Thrain sees that the earl means to put off again and said,
"However wroth the earl was last time, now he will be half as
wroth again, and now the life of every man on board the ship lies
at stake."

They all gave their words to hide the matter, for they were all
sore afraid. Then they took some sacks out of the lading, and
put Hrapp down into the hold in their stead, and other sacks that
were light were laid over him.

Now comes the earl, just as they were done stowing Hrapp away.
Thrain greeted the earl well. The earl was rather slow to return
it, and they saw that the earl was very wroth.

Then said the earl to Thrain, "Give thou up Hrapp, for I am quite
sure that thou hast hidden him."

"Where shall I have hidden him, Lord?" says Thrain.

"That thou knowest best," says the earl; "but if I must guess,
then I think that thou hiddest him in the water-casks a while
ago."

"Well!" says Thrain, "I would rather not be taken for a liar, far
sooner would I that ye should search the ship."

Then the earl went on board the ship and hunted and hunted, but
found him not.

"Dost thou speak me free now?" says Thrain.

"Far from it," says the earl, "and yet I cannot tell why we
cannot find him, but methinks I see through it all when I come on
shore, but when I come here, I can see nothing."

With that he made them row him ashore. He was so wroth that
there was no speaking to him. His son Sweyn was there with him,
and he said, "A strange turn of mind this to let guiltless men
smart for one's wrath!"

Then the earl went away alone aside from other men, and after
that he went back to them at once, and said, "Let us row out to
them again," and they did so.

"Where can he have been hidden?" says Sweyn.

"There's not much good in knowing that," says the earl, "for now
he will be away thence; two sacks lay there by the rest of the
lading, and Hrapp must have come into the lading in their place."

Then Thrain began to speak, and said, "They are running off the
ship again, and they must mean to pay us another visit. Now we
will take him out of the lading, and stow other things in his
stead, but let the sacks still lie loose. They did so, and then
Thrain spoke: "Now let us fold Hrapp in the sail."

It was then brailed up to the yard, and they did so.

Then the earl comes to Thrain and his men, and he was very wroth,
and said, "Wilt thou now give up the man, Thrain?" and he is
worse now than before.

"I would have given him up long ago," answers Thrain, "if he had
been in my keeping, or where can he have been?"

"In the lading," says the earl.

"Then why did ye not seek him there?" says Thrain.

"That never came into our mind," says the earl.

After that they sought him over all the ship, and found him not.

"Will you now hold me free?" says Thrain.

"Surely not," says the earl, "for I know that thou hast hidden
away the man, though I find him not; but I would rather that thou
shouldst be a dastard to me than I to thee," says the earl, and
then they went on shore.

"Now," says the earl, "I seem to see that Thrain has hidden away
Hrapp in the sail."

Just then, up sprung a fair breeze, and Thrain and his men sailed
out to sea. He then spoke these words which have long been held
in mind since --

"Let us make the Vulture fly,
Nothing now gars Thrain flinch."

But when the earl heard of Thrain's words, then he said, "'Tis
not my want of foresight which caused this, but rather their
ill-fellowship, which will drag them both to death."

Thrain was a short time out on the sea, and so came to Iceland,
and fared home to his house. Hrapp went along with Thrain, and
was with him that year; but the spring after, Thrain got him a
homestead at Hrappstede, and he dwelt there; but yet he spent
most of his time at Gritwater. He was thought to spoil
everything there, and some men even said that he was too good
friends with Hallgerda, and that he led her astray, but some
spoke against that.

Thrain gave the Vulture to his kinsman, Mord the Reckless; that
Mord slew Oddi Haldor's son, east in Gautawick by Berufirth.

All Thrain's kinsmen looked on him as a chief.

88. EARL HACON FIGHTS WITH NJAL'S SONS.

Now we must take up the story, and say how, when Earl Hacon
missed Thrain, he spoke to Sweyn his son, and said, "Let us take
four long-ships, and let us fare against Njal's sons and slay
them, for they must have known all about it with Thrain."

"'Tis not good counsel," says Sweyn, "to throw the blame on
guiltless men, but to let him escape who is guilty."

"I shall have my way in this," says the earl.

Now they hold on after Njal's sons, and seek for them, and find
them under an island.

Grim first saw the earl's ships and said to Helgi, "Here are war
ships sailing up, and I see that here is the earl, and he can
mean to offer us no peace."

"It is said," said Helgi, "that he is the boldest man who holds
his own against all comers, and so we will defend ourselves."

They all bade him take the course he thought best, and then they
took to their arms.

Now the earl comes up and called out to them, and bade them give
themselves up.

Helgi said that they would defend themselves so long as they
could.

Then the earl offered peace and quarter to all who would neither
defend themselves nor Helgi; but Helgi was so much beloved that
all said they would rather die with him.

Then the earl and his men fall on them, but they defended
themselves well, and Njal's sons were ever where there was most
need. The earl often offered peace, but they all made the same
answer, and said they would never yield.

Then Aslak of Longisle pressed them hard and came on board their
ship thrice. Then Grim said, "Thou pressest on hard, and 'twere
well that thou gettest what thou seekest;" and with that he
snatched up a spear and hurled it at him, and hit him under the
chin, and Aslak got his death wound there and then.

A little after, Helgi slew Egil the earl's banner-bearer.

Then Sweyn, Earl Hacon's son, fell on them, and made men hem them
in and bear them down with shields, and so they were taken
captive.

The earl was for letting them all be slain at once, but Sweyn
said that should not be, and said too that it was night.

Then the earl said, "Well, then, slay them to-morrow, but bind
them fast to-night."

"So, I ween, it must be," says Sweyn; "but never yet have I met
brisker men than these, and I call it the greatest manscathe to
take their lives."

"They have slain two of our briskest men," said the earl, "and
for that they shall be slain."

"Because they were brisker men themselves," says Sweyn; "but
still in this it must be done as thou willest."

So they were bound and fettered.

After that the earl fell asleep; but when all men slept, Grim
spoke to Helgi, and said, "Away would I get if I could."

"Let us try some trick then," says Helgi.

Grim sees that there lies an axe edge up, so Grim crawled
thither, and gets the bowstring which bound him cut asunder
against the axe, but still he got great wounds on his arms.

Then he set Helgi loose, and after that they crawled over the
ship's side, and got on shore, so that neither Hacon nor his men
were ware of them. Then they broke off their fetters, and walked
away to the other side of the island. By that time it began to
dawn. There they found a ship, and knew that there was come Kari
Solmund's son. They went at once to meet him, and told him of
their wrongs and hardships, and showed him their wounds, and said
the earl would be then asleep.

"Ill is it," said Kari, "that ye should suffer such wrongs for
wicked men; but what now would be most to your minds?"

"To fall on the earl," they say, "and slay, him."

"This will not be fated," says Kari; "but still ye do not lack
heart, but we will first know whether he is there now."

After that they fared thither, and then the earl was up and away.

Then Kari sailed in to Hlada to meet the earl, and brought him
the Orkney scatts, so the earl said, "Hast thou taken Njal's sons
into thy keeping?"

"So it is, sure enough," says Kari.

"Wilt thou hand Njal's sons over to me?" asks the earl.

"No, I will not," said Kari.

"Wilt thou swear this," says the earl, "that thou wilt not fall
on me with Njal's sons?"

Then Eric, the earl's son, spoke and said, "Such things ought
not to be asked. Kari has always been our friend, and things
should not have gone as they have, had I been by. Njal's sons
should have been set free from all blame, but they should have
had chastisement who had wrought for it. Methinks now it would
be more seemly to give Njal's sons good gifts for the hardships
and wrongs which have been put upon them, and the wounds they
have got."

"So it ought to be, sure enough," says the earl, "but I know not
whether they will take an atonement."

Then the earl said that Kari should try the feeling of Njal's
sons as to an atonement.

After that Kari spoke to Helgi, and asked whether he would take
any amends from the earl or not.

"I will take them," said Helgi, "from his son Eric, but I will
have nothing to do with the earl."

Then Kari told Eric their answer.

"So it shall be." says Eric. "He shall take the amends from me
if he thinks it better; and tell them this too, that I bid them
to my house, and my father shall do them no harm."

This bidding they took, and went to Eric's house, and were with
him till Kari was ready to sail west across the sea to meet Earl
Sigurd.

Then Eric made a feast for Kari, and gave him gifts, and Njal's
sons gifts too. After that Kari fared west across the sea, and
met Earl Sigurd, and he greeted them very well, and they were
with the earl that winter.

But when the spring came, Kari asked Njal's sons to go on warfare
with him, but Grim said they would only do so if he would fare
with them afterwards out to Iceland. Kari gave his word to do
that, and then they fared with him a-searoving. They harried
south about Anglesea and all the Southern isles. Thence they
held on to Cantyre, and landed there, and fought with the
landsmen, and got thence much goods, and so fared to their ships.
Thence they fared south to Wales, and harried there. Then
they held on for Alan, and there they met Godred, and fought with
him, and got the victory, and slew Dungal the king's son. There
they took great spoil. Thence they held on north to Coll, and
found Earl Gilli there, and he greeted them well and there they
stayed with him a while. The earl fared with them to the Orkneys
to meet Earl Sigurd, but next spring Earl Sigurd gave away his
sister Nereida to Earl Gilli, and then he fared back to the
Southern isles.

89. NJAL'S SONS AND KARI COME OUT TO ICELAND

That summer Kari and Njal's sons busked them for Iceland, and
when they were "all-boun" they went to see the earl. The earl
gave them good gifts, and they parted with great friendship.

Now they put to sea and have a short passage, and they got a fine
fair breeze, and made the land at Eyrar. Then they got them
horses and ride from the ship to Bergthorsknoll, but when they
came home all men were glad to see them. They flitted home their
goods and laid up the ship, and Kari was there that winter with
Njal.

But the spring after, Kari asked for Njal's daughter, Helga, to
wife, and Helgi and Grim backed his suit; and so the end of it
was that she was betrothed to Kari and the day for the wedding-
feast was fixed, and the feast was held half a month before
mid-summer, and they were that winter with Njal.

Then Kari bought him land at Dyrholms, east away by Mydale, and
set up a farm there; they put in there a grieve and housekeeper
to see after the farm, but they themselves were ever with Njal.

90. THE QUARREL OF NJAL'S SONS WITH THRAIN SIGFUS' SON

Hrapp owned a farm at Hrappstede, but for all that he was always
at Gritwater, and he was thought to spoil everything there.
Thrain was good to him.

Once on a time it happened that Kettle of the Mark was at
Bergthorsknoll; then Njal's sons told him of their wrongs and
hardships, and said they had much to lay at Thrain Sigfus son's
door, whenever they chose to speak about it.

NjaI said it would be best that Kettle should talk with his
brother Thrain about it, and he gave his word to do so.

So they gave Kettle breathing-time to talk to Thrain.

A little after they spoke of the matter again to Kettle, but he
said that be would repeat few of the words that had passed
between them, "For it was pretty plain that Thrain thought I set
too great store on being your brother-in-law."

Then they dropped talking about it, and thought they saw that
things looked ugly, and so they asked their father for his
counsel as to what was to be done, but they told him they would
not let things rest as they then stood.

"Such things," said Njal, "are not so strange. It will be
thought that they are slain without a cause, if they are slain
now, and my counsel is, that as many men as may be should be
brought to talk with them about these things, and thus as many as
we can find may be ear-witnesses if they answer ill as to these
things. Then Kari shall talk about them too, for he is just the
man with the right turn of mind for this; then the dislike
between you will grow and grow, for they will heap bad words on
bad words when men bring the matter forward, for they are foolish
men. It may also well be that it may be said that my sons are
slow to take up a quarrel, but ye shall bear that for the sake of
gaining time, for there are two sides to everything that is done,
and ye can always pick a quarrel; but still ye shall let so much
of your purpose out, as to say that if any wrong be put upon you
that ye do mean something. But if ye had taken counsel from me
at first, then these things should never have been spoken about
at all, and then ye would have gotten no disgrace from them; but
now ye have the greatest risk of it, and so it will go on ever
growing and growing with your disgrace, that ye will never get
rid of it until ye bring yourselves into a strait, and have to
fight your way out with weapons; but in that there is a long and
weary night in which ye will have to grope your way."

After that they ceased speaking about it; but the matter became
the daily talk of many men.

One day it happened that those brothers spoke to Kari and bade
him go to Gritwater. Kari said he thought he might go
elsewhither on a better journey, but still he would go if that
were Njal's counsel. So after that Kari fares to meet Thrain,
and then they talk over the matter, and they did not each look at
it in the same way.

Kari comes home, and Njal's sons ask how things had gone between
Thrain and him. Kari said he would rather not repeat the words
that had passed, "But," he went on, "it is to be looked for that
the like words will be spoken when ye yourselves can hear them."

Thrain had fifteen house-carles trained to arms in his house, and
eight of them rode with him whithersoever he went. Thrain was
very fond of show and dress, and always rode in a blue cloak, and
had on a gilded helm, and the spear -- the earl's gift -- in his
band, and a fair shield, and a sword at his belt. Along with him
always went Gunnar Lambi's son, and Lambi Sigurd's son, and Grani
Gunnar of Lithend's son. But nearest of all to him went Killing-
Hrapp. Lodinn was the name of his serving-man, he too went with
Thrain when he journeyed; Tjorvi was the name of Lodinn's
brother, and he too was one of Thrain's band. The worst of all,
in their words against Njal's sons, were Hrapp and Grani; and it
was mostly their doing that no atonement was offered to them.

Njal's sons often spoke to Kari that he should ride with them;
and it came to that at last, for he said it would be well that
they heard Thrain's answer.

Then they busked them, four of Njal's sons, and Kari the fifth,
and so they fare to Gritwater.

There was a wide porch in the homestead there, so that many men
might stand in it side by side. There was a woman out of doors,
and she saw their coming, and told Thrain of it; he bade them to
go out into the porch, and take their arms, and they did so.

Thrain stood in mid-door, but Killing-Hrapp and Grani Gunnar's
son stood on either hand of him; then next stood Gunnar Lambi's
son, then Lodinn and Tjorvi, then Lambi Sigurd's son; then each
of the others took his place right and left; for the house-carles
were all at home.

Skarphedinn and his men walk up from below, and he went first,
then Kari, then Hauskuld, then Grim, then Helgi. But when they
had come up to the door, then not a word of welcome passed the
lips of those who stood before them.

"May we all be welcome here?" said Skarphedinn.

Hallgerda stood in the porch, and had been talking low to Hrapp,
then she spoke out loud: "None of those who are here will say
that ye are welcome."

Then Skarphedinn sang a song:

"Prop of sea-waves' fire (1), thy fretting
Cannot cast a weight on us,
Warriors wight; yes, wolf and eagle
Willingly I feed to-day;
Carline thrust into the ingle,
Or a tramping whore, art thou;
Lord of skates that skim the sea-belt (2),
Odin's mocking cup (3) I mix"

"Thy words," said Skarphedinn, "will not be worth much, for thou
art either a hag, only fit to sit in the ingle, or a harlot."

"These words of thine thou shalt pay for," she says, "ere thou
farest home."

"Thee am I come to see, Thrain," said Helgi, "and to know if thou
wilt make me any amends for those wrongs and hardships which
befell me for thy sake in Norway."

"I never knew," said Thrain, "that ye two brothers were wont to
measure your manhood by money; or, how long shall such a claim
for amends stand over?"

"Many will say," says Helgi, "that thou oughtest to offer us
atonement, since thy life was at stake."

Then Hrapp said, "'Twas just luck that swayed the balance, when
he got stripes who ought to bear them; and she dragged you under
disgrace and hardships, but us away from them."

"Little good luck was there in that," says Helgi, "to break faith
with the earl, and to take to thee instead."

"Thinkest thou not that thou hast some amends to seek from me,"
says Hrapp. "I will atone thee in a way that, methinks, were
fitting."

"The only dealings we shall have," says Helgi, "will be those
which will not stand thee in good stead."

"Don't bandy words with Hrapp," said Skarphedinn, "but give him a
red skin for a grey." (4)

"Hold thy tongue, Skarphedinn," said Hrapp, "or I will not spare
to bring my axe on thy head."

"'Twill be proved soon enough, I dare say," says Skarphedinn,
"which of us is to scatter gravel over the other's head."

"Away with you home, ye `Dungbeardlings!'" says Hallgerda, "and
so we will call you always from this day forth; but your father
we will call `the Beardless Carle.'"

They did not fare home before all who were there had made
themselves guilty of uttering those words, save Thrain; he
forbade men to utter them.

Then Njal's sons went away, and fared till they came home, then
they told their father.

"Did ye call any men to witness of those words?" says Njal.

"We called none," says Skarphedinn; "we do not mean to follow
that suit up except on the battle-field."

"No one will now think," says Bergthora, "that ye have the heart
to lift your weapons."

"Spare thy tongue, mistress!" says Kari, "in egging on thy sons,
for they will be quite eager enough."

After that they all talk long in secret, Njal and his sons, and
Kari Solmund's son, their brother-in-law.

ENDNOTES:

(l) "Prop of sea-waves' fire," a periphrasis for woman that
bears gold on her arm.
(2) "Skates that skim." etc.. a periphrasis for ships.
(3) "Odin's mocking cup," mocking songs.
(4) An allusion to the Beast Epic, where the cunning fox laughs
at the flayed condition of his stupid foes, the wolf and
bear. We should say, "Don't stop to speak with him, but
rather beat him black and blue."

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