, "It were wiser to go away to thy kinsfolk;
but if thou wilt be here in this country, mind that thou givest
me no cause of quarrel."

"That is wholesome counsel," said Gizur; "and so he shall do."

So Gunnar had the greatest honour from that suit, and afterwards
men rode home from the Thing.

Now Gunnar sits in his house at home, and so things are quiet for
a while.

52. OF RUNOLF, THE SON OF WOLF AURPRIEST

There was a man named Runolf, the son of Wolf Aurpriest, he kept
house at the Dale, east of Markfleet. He was Otkell's guest once
when he rode from the Thing. Otkell gave him an ox, all black,
without a spot of white, nine winters old. Runolf thanked him
for the gift, and bade him come and see him at home whenever he
chose to go; and this bidding stood over for some while, so that
he had not paid the visit. Runolf often sent men to him and put
him in mind that he ought to come; and he always said he would
come, but never went.

Now Otkell had two horses, dun coloured, with a black stripe down
the back; they were the best steeds to ride in all the country
round, and so fond of each other that whenever one went before
the other ran after him.

There was an Easterling staying with Otkell, whose name was
Audulf; he had set his heart on Signy, Otkell's daughter. Audulf
was a tall man in growth, and strong.

53. HOW OTKELL RODE OVER GUNNAR

It happened next spring that Otkell said that they would ride
east to the Dale, to pay Runolf a visit, and all showed
themselves well pleased at that. Skamkell and his two brothers,
and Audulf and three men more, went along with Otkell. Otkell
rode one of the dun horses, but the other ran loose by his side.
They shaped their course east towards Markfleet; and now Otkell
gallops ahead, and now the horses race against each other, and
they break away from the path up towards the Fleetlithe.

Now, Otkell goes faster than he wished, and it happened that
Gunnar had gone away from home out of his house all alone; and he
had a corn-sieve in one hand, but in the other a hand-axe. He
goes down to his seed field and sows his corn there, and had laid
his cloak of fine stuff and his axe down by his side, and so he
sows the corn a while.

Now, it must be told how Otkell rides faster than he would. He
had spurs on his feet, and so he gallops down over the ploughed
field, and neither of them sees the other; and just as Gunnar
stands upright, Otkell rides down upon hi