thing of their plans, for if you
do, it seems to me that we must take fresh counsel about our own
plans."

"Snorri the Priest," answers Gizur the White, "sent a man to me,
and bade him tell me that Flosi had gotten great help from the
Northlanders; but that Eyjolf Bolverk's son, his kinsman, had had
a gold ring given him by some one, and made a secret of it, and
Snorri said it was his meaning that Eyjolf Bolverk's son must be
meant to defend the suit at law, and that the ring must have been
given him for that."

They were all agreed that it must be so. Then Gizur spoke to
them, "Now has Mord Valgard's son, my son-in-law, undertaken a
suit, which all must think most hard, to prosecute Flosi; and now
my wish is that ye share the other suits amongst you, for now it
will soon be time to give notice of the suits at the Hill of
Laws. We shall need also to ask for more help."

Asgrim said so it should be, "but we will beg thee to go round
with us when we ask for help." Gizur said he would be ready to
do that.

After that Gizur picked out all the wisest men of their company
to go with him as his backers. There was Hjallti Skeggi's son,
and Asgrim, and Kari, and Thorgeir Craggeir.

Then Gizur the White said, "Now will we first go to the booth of
Skapti Thorod's son," and they do so. Gizur the White went
first, then Hjallti, then Kari, then Asgrim, then Thorgeir
Craggeir, and then his brothers.

They went into the booth. Skapti sat on the cross bench on the
dais, and when he saw Gizur the White he rose up to meet him, and
greeted him and all of them well, and bade Gizur to sit down by
him, and he does so. Then Gizur said to Asgrim, "Now shalt thou
first raise the question of help with Skapti, but I will throw in
what I think good."

"We are come hither," said Asgrim, "for this sake, Skapti, to
seek help and aid at thy hand."

"I was thought to be hard to win the last time," said Skapti,
"when I would not take the burden of your trouble on me."

"It is quite another matter now," said Gizur. "Now the feud is
for master Njal and mistress Bergthora, who were burnt in their
own house without a cause, and for Njal's three sons, and many
other worthy men, and thou wilt surely never be willing to yield
no help to men, or to stand by thy kinsmen and connections."

"It was in my mind," answers Skapti, "when Skarphedinn told me
that I had myself borne tar on my own head, and cut up a sod of
turf and crept under it, a