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