he worst, for that he was hard to deal with and reckless. And on a
day Thorbiorn Angle sat playing at tables, and his stepmother passed
by and saw that he was playing at the knave-game, and the fashion of
the game was the large tail-game. Now she deemed him thriftless, and
cast some word at him, but he gave an evil answer; so she caught up
one of the men, and drave the tail thereof into Thorbiorn's cheek-bone
wherefrom it glanced into his eye, so that it hung out on his cheek.
He sprang up, caught hold of her, and handled her roughly, insomuch
that she took to her bed, and died thereof afterwards, and folk say
that she was then big with child.

Thereafter Thorbiorn became of all men the most riotous; he took his
heritage, and dwelt at first in Woodwick.

Haldor the son of Thorgeir, who was the son of Head-Thord, dwelt at
Hof on Head-strand, he had to wife Thordis, the daughter of Thord
Hialtison, and sister to those brothers Hialti and Thorbiorn Angle.
Haldor was a great bonder, and rich in goods.

Biorn was the name of a man who dwelt at Meadness in the Fleets; he
was a friend to Haldor of Hof. These men held to each other in all
cases.

Tongue-Stein dwelt at Stonestead; he was the son of Biorn, the son of
Ufeigh Thinbeard, son of that Crow-Hreidar to whom Eric of God-dales
gave the tongue of land down from Hall-marsh. Stein was a man of great
renown.

One named Eric was the son of Holmgang-Starri, the son of Eric of
God-dales, the son of Hroald, the son of Geirmund Thick-beard; Eric
dwelt at Hof in God-dales.

Now all these were men of great account.

Two brothers there were who dwelt at a place called Broad-river
in Flat-lithe, and they were both called Thord; they were wondrous
strong, and yet withal peaceable men both of them.

All these men had share in Drangey, and it is said that no less than
twenty in all had some part in the island, nor would any sell his
share to another; but the sons of Thord, Hialti and Thorbiorn Angle,
had the largest share, because they were the richest men.

CHAP. LXXI.

<i>How those of Skagafirth found Grettir on Drangey</i>.

Now time wears on towards the winter solstice; then the bonders get
ready to go fetch the fat beasts for slaughter from the island; so
they manned a great barge, and every owner had one to go in his stead,
and some two.

But when these came anigh the island they saw men going about there;
they deemed that strange, but guessed that men had b