orfinn went with thirty freedmen to the
Yule-feast, whereat there was the greatest mirth and joyance among
men.

Now Yule-eve comes on, and the weather was bright and calm; Grettir
was mostly abroad this day, and saw how ships fared north and south
along the land, for each one sought the other's home where the Yule
drinking was settled to come off. By this time the goodman's daughter
was so much better that she could walk about with her mother, and thus
the day wore on.

Now Grettir sees how a ship rows up toward the island; it was not
right big, but shield-hung it was from stem to stern, and stained all
above the sea: these folk rowed smartly, and made for the boat-stands
of goodman Thorfinn, and when the keel took land, those who were
therein sprang overboard. Grettir cast up the number of the men, and
they were twelve altogether; he deemed their guise to be far from
peaceful. They took up their ship and bore it up from the sea;
thereafter they ran up to the boat-stand, and therein was that big
boat of Thorfinn, which was never launched to sea by less than thirty
men, but these twelve shot it in one haul down to the shingle of the
foreshore; and thereon they took up their own bark and bore it into
the boat-stand.

Now Grettir thought that he could see clear enough that they would
make themselves at home. But he goes down to meet them, and welcomes
them merrily, and asks who they were and what their leader was hight;
he to whom these words were spoken answered quickly, and said that his
name was Thorir, and that he was called Paunch, and that his brother
was Ogmund, and that the others were fellows of theirs.

"I deem," said Thorir, "that thy master Thorfinn has heard tell of us;
is he perchance at home?"

Grettir answered, "Lucky men are ye, and hither have come in a good
hour, if ye are the men I take you to be; the goodman is gone away
with all his home-folk who are freemen, and will not be home again
till after Yule; but the mistress is at home, and so is the goodman's
daughter; and if I thought that I had some ill-will to pay back, I
should have chosen above all things to have come just thus; for here
are all matters in plenty whereof ye stand in need both beer, and all
other good things."

Thorir held his peace, while Grettir let this tale run on, then he
said to Ogmund--

"How far have things come to pass other than as I guessed? and now am
I well enough minded to take revenge on Thorfinn for having ma