of begging," says
Skarphedinn.

"In many places," said Asgrim, "hast thou been rather sharp-
tongued, but here now, in what Thorkel had a share methinks thou
hast only treated him as is fitting,"

Then they went home to their booths, and told Njal, word for
word, all that had been done.

"Things," he said, "draw on to what must be."

Now Gudmund the Powerful heard what has passed between Thorkel
and Skarphedinn, and said, "Ye all know how things fared between
us and the men of Lightwater, but I have never suffered such
scorn and mocking at their hands as has befallen Thorkel from
Skarphedinn, and this is just as it should be."

Then he said to Einar of Thvera, his brother, "Thou shalt go with
all my band, and stand by Njal's sons when the courts go out to
try suits; but if they need help next summer, then I myself will
yield them help."

Einar agreed to that, and sent and told Asgrim, and Asgrim said,
"There is no man like Gudmund for nobleness of mind," and then
he told it to Njal.

120. OF THE PLEADING OF THE SUIT

The next day Asgrim, and Gizur the White, and Hjallti Skeggi's
son, and Einar of Thvera, met together. There, too, was Mord
Valgard's son; he had then let the suit fall from his hand, and
given it over to the sons of Sigfus.

Then Asgrim spoke.

"Thee first I speak to about this matter, Gizur the White and
thee Hjallti, and thee Einar, that I may tell you how the suit
stands. It will be known to all of you that Mord took up the
suit, but the truth of the matter is, that Mord was at Hauskuld's
slaying, and wounded him with that wound, for giving which no man
was named. It seems to me, then, that this suit must come to
naught by reason of a lawful flaw."

"Then we will plead it at once," says Hjallti.

"It is not good counsel," said Thorhall Asgrim's son, "that this
should not be hidden until the courts are set."

"How so?" asks Hjallti.

"If," said Thorhall, "they knew now at once that the suit has
been wrongly set on foot, then they may still save the suit by
sending a man home from the Thing, and summoning the neighbours
from home over again, and calling on them to ride to the Thing,
and then the suit will be lawfully set on foot."

"Thou art a wise man, Thorhall," say they, "and we will take
thy counsel."

After that each man went to his booth.

The sons of Sigfus gave notice of their suits at the Hill of
Laws, and asked in what Quarter Courts they lay, and in what
house