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.

Then 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