," he says.

"I shall know if I see," she says; "so take thou my horse and
driving gear."

He did so, and got all things ready, and then they went thither
where Hauskuld lay.

She looked at the wounds, and said, "'Tis even as I thought, that
he could not be quite dead, and Njal no doubt can cure greater
wounds."

After that they took the body and laid it on the sledge and drove
to Bergthorsknoll, and drew it into the sheepcote, and made him
sit upright against the wall.

Then they went both of them and knocked at the door, and a house-
carle went to the door. She steals in by him at once, and goes
till she comes to Njal's bed.

She asked whether Njal were awake? He said he had slept up to
that time, but was then awake.

"But why art thou come hither so early?"

"Rise thou up," said Rodny, "from thy bed by my rival's side, and
come out, and she too, and thy sons, to see thy son Hauskuld."

They rose and went out.

"Let us take our weapons," said Skarphedinn, "and have them
with us."

Njal said naught at that, and they ran in and came out again
armed.

She goes first till they come to the sheepcote; she goes in and
bade them follow her. Then she lit a torch, and held it up and
said, "Here, Njal, is thy son Hauskuld, and he hath gotten many
wounds upon him, and now he will need leechcraft."

"I see death marks on him," said Njal, "but no signs of life; but
why hast thou not closed his eyes and nostrils? see, his
nostrils are still open!"

"That duty I meant for Skarphedinn," she says.

Then Skarphedinn went to close his eyes and nostrils, and said to
his father, "Who, sayest thou, hath slain him?"

"Lyting of Samstede and his brothers must have slain him," says
Njal.

Then Rodny said, "Into thy hands, Skarphedinn, I leave it to take
vengeance for thy brother, and I ween that thou wilt take it
well, though he be not lawfully begotten, and that thou wilt not
be slow to take it."

"Wonderfully do ye men behave," said Bergthora, "when ye slay men
for small cause, but talk and tarry over such as this until no
vengeance at all is taken; and now of this will soon come to
Hauskuld, the Priest of Whiteness, and he will be offering you
atonement, and you will grant him that, but now is the time to
set about it, if ye seek for vengeance."

"Our mother eggs us on now with a just goading," said
Skarphedinn, and sang a song.

"Well we know the warrior's temper (2),
One and all, well, father