inn, "for
those chiefs fell on Gunnar's house, who were so nobleminded,
that they would rather turn back than burn him, house and all;
but these will fall on us at once with fire, if they cannot get
at us in any other way, for they will leave no stone unturned to
get the better of us; and no doubt they think, as is not
unlikely, that it will be their deaths if we escape out of their
hands. Besides, I am unwilling to let myself be stifled indoors
like a fox in his earth."

"Now," said Njal, "as often it happens, my sons, ye set my
counsel at naught, and show me no honour, but when ye were
younger ye did not so, and then your plans were better
furthered."

"Let us do," said Helgi, "as our father wills; that will be best
for us."

"I am not so sure of that," says Skarphedinn, "for now he is
`fey'; but still I may well humour my father in this, by being
burnt indoors along with him, for I am not afraid of my death."

Then he said to Kari, "Let us stand by one another well, brother-
in-law, so that neither parts from the other."

"That I have made up my mind to do," says Kari; "but if it should
be otherwise doomed, -- well! then it must be as it must be, and
I shall not be able to fight against it."

"Avenge us, and we will avenge thee," says Skarphedinn, "if we
live after thee."

Kari said so it should be.

Then they all went in, and stood in array at the door.

"Now are they all `fey,'" said Flosi, "since they have gone
indoors, and we will go right up to them as quickly as we can,
and throng as close as we can before the door, and give heed that
none of them, neither Kari nor Njal's sons, get away; for that
were our bane."

So Flosi and his men came up to the house, and set men
to watch round the house, if there were any secret doors in it.
But Flosi went up to the front of the house with his men.

Then Hroald Auzur's son ran up to where Skarphedinn stood, and
thrust at him. Skarphedinn hewed the spearhead off the shaft as
he held it, and made another stroke at him, and the axe fell on
the top of the shield, and dashed back the whole shield on
Hroald's body, but the upper horn of the axe caught him on the
brow, and he fell at full length on his back, and was dead at
once.

"Little chance had that one with thee, Skarphedinn," said Kari,
"and thou art our boldest."

"I'm not so sure of that," says Skarphedinn, and he drew up his
lips and smiled.

Kari, and Grim, and Helgi, threw out many spears, an