n will find."

They met on the beaten way, Thord and Brynjolf; and Thord said,
"Guard thee, Brynjolf, for I will do no dastard's deed by thee."

Brynjolf rode at Thord, and smote at him with his axe. He smote
at him at the same time with his axe, and hewed in sunder the
haft just above Brynjolf's hands, and then hewed at him at once a
second time, and struck him on the collar-bone, and the blow went
straight into his trunk. Then he fell from horseback, and was
dead on the spot.

Thord met Hallgerda's herdsman, and gave out the slaying as done
by his hand, and said where he lay, and bade him tell Hallgerda
of the slaying. After that he rode home to Bergthorsknoll, and
told Bergthora of the slaying, and other people too.

"Good luck go with thy hands," she said.

The herdsman told Hallgerda of the slaying; she was snappish at
it, and said much ill would come of it, if she might have her
way.

40. GUNNAR AND NJAL MAKE PEACE ABOUT BRYNJOLF'S SLAYING

Now these tidings come to the Thing, and Njal made them tell him
the tale thrice, and then he said, "More men now become man-
slayers than I weened."

Skarphedinn spoke, "That man, though, must have been twice fey,"
he says, "who lost his life by our foster-father's hand, who has
never seen man's blood. And many would think that we brothers
would sooner have done this deed with the turn of temper that we
have."

"Scant space wilt thou have," says Njal, "ere the like befalls
thee; but need will drive thee to it."

Then they went to meet Gunnar, and told him of the slaying.
Gunnar spoke and said that was little man-scathe, "but yet he was
a free man."

Njal offered to make peace at once, and Gunnar said yes, and he
was to settle the terms himself. He made his award there and
then, and laid it at one hundred in silver. Njal paid down the
money on the spot, and they were at peace after that.

41. SIGMUND COMES OUT TO ICELAND

There was a man whose name was Sigmund. He was the son of Lambi,
the son of Sighvat the Red. He was a great voyager, and a comely
and a courteous man; tall too, and strong. He was a man of proud
spirit, and a good skald, and well trained in most feats of
strength. He was noisy and boisterous, and given to jibes and
mocking. He made the land east in Homfirth. Skiolld was the
name of his fellow-traveller; he was a Swedish man, and ill to do
with. They took horse and rode from the east out of Hornfirth,
and did not draw br