ound. "And now I shall try," said he, "what sort of play we[10]
namesakes shall have together." Grettir made as if he knew not what
Biorn said on this matter.

[Footnote 10: Biorn is Icelandic for bear.]

Now it happened always when men went to sleep anights that Biorn
disappeared: and one night when Biorn went to the lair, he was aware
that the beast was there before him, and roaring savagely. Biorn lay
down in the track, and had over him his shield, and was going to wait
till the beast should stir abroad as his manner was. Now the bear had
an inkling of the man, and got somewhat slow to move off. Biorn waxed
very sleepy where he lay, and cannot wake up, and just at this time
the beast betakes himself from his lair; now he sees where the man
lies, and, hooking at him with his claw, he tears from him the shield
and throws it down over the rocks. Biorn started up suddenly awake,
takes to his legs and runs home, and it was a near thing that the
beast gat him not. This his fellows knew, for they had spies about
Biorn's ways; in the morning they found the shield, and made the
greatest jeering at all this.

At Yule Thorkel went himself, and eight of them altogether, and there
was Grettir and Biorn and other followers of Thorkel. Grettir had on
a fur-cloak, which he laid aside while they set on the beast. It was
awkward for an onslaught there, for thereat could folk come but by
spear-thrusts, and all the spear-points the bear turned off him with
his teeth. Now Biorn urged them on much to the onset, yet he himself
went not so nigh as to run the risk of any hurt. Amid this, when men
looked least for it, Biorn suddenly seized Grettir's coat, and cast it
into the beast's lair. Now nought they could wreak on him, and had
to go back when the day was far spent. But when Grettir was going, he
misses his coat, and he could see that the bear has it cast under him.
Then he said, "What man of you has wrought the jest of throwing my
cloak into the lair?"

Biorn says, "He who is like to dare to own to it."

Grettir answers, "I set no great store on such matters."

Now they went on their way home, and when they had walked awhile, the
thong of Grettir's leggings brake. Thorkel bid them wait for him; but
Grettir said there was no need of that. Then said Biorn, "Ye need
not think that Grettir will run away from his coat; he will have the
honour all to himself, and will slay that beast all alone, wherefrom
we have gone back all eight of