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 def