"O wise sun of golden stall,
When thy sire comes back to hall,
Thou mayst tell him without sin
This, though little lies therein,
That thou saw'st me ride hereby,
With but two in company,
Past the door of Skeggi's son,
Nigh his hearth, O glittering one."

Hereby the new-comer thought he knew who this would be, and he rode to
peopled parts and told how Grettir had ridden by.

So when Thorir came home, many deemed that Grettir had done the bed
well over their heads. But Thorir set spies on Grettir's ways, whereso
he might be. Grettir fell on such rede that he sent his fellow to the
west country with his horses; but he went up to the mountains and was
in disguised attire, and fared about north there in the early winter,
so that he was not known.

But all men deemed that Thorir had got a worse part than before in
their dealings together.

CHAP. LXIV.

<i>Of the ill haps at Sand-heaps, and how Guest came to the Goodwife
there</i>.

There was a priest called Stein, who dwelt at Isledale-river, in
Bard-dale; he was good at husbandry and rich in beasts; his son was
Kiartan, a brisk man and a well grown. Thorstein the White was the
name of him who dwelt at Sand-heaps, south of Isledale-river; his wife
was called Steinvor, a young woman and merry-hearted, and children
they had, who were young in those days. But that place men deemed much
haunted by the goings of trolls.

Now it befell two winters before Grettir came into the north country
that Steinvor the goodwife of Sand-heaps fared at Yule-tide to the
stead of Isledale-river according to her wont, but the goodman abode
at home. Men lay down to sleep in the evening, but in the night they
heard a huge crashing about the bonder's bed; none durst arise and
see thereto, for very few folk were there. In the morning the goodwife
came home, but the goodman was gone, and none knew what had become of
him.

Now the next year wears through its seasons, but the winter after
the goodwife would fain go to worship, and bade her house-carle abide
behind at home; thereto was he loth, but said nathless that she must
rule; so all went the same way and the house-carle vanished; and
marvellous men deemed it; but folk saw certain stains of blood about
the outer door; therefore they deemed it sure that an evil wight had
taken them both.

Now that was heard of wide through the country-side, and Grettir
withal was told thereof; so he took his way to Bard-dale, an