affairs, but must needs break his neck over the rock; so let the
bonders pray for him as one dead."

So when Angle heard that, he bade his folk make off. "Twice have I
fared to meet Grettir, but no third time will I go, if I am nought the
wiser first; and now belike they may sit in Drangey as for me; but
in my mind it is, that Grettir will abide here but a lesser time than
heretofore."

With that they went home, and men deemed this journey of theirs worser
than the first, and Grettir abode that winter in Drangey, nor in that
season did he and Thorbiorn meet again.

In those days died Skapti Thorodson the Lawman, and great scathe
was that to Grettir, for he had promised to busy himself about his
acquittal as soon as he had been twenty winters in outlawry, and this
year, of which the tale was told e'en now, was the nineteenth year
thereof.

In the spring died Snorri the Godi, and many matters befell in that
season that come not into this story.

CHAP. LXXIX.

<i>Of the Talk at the Thing about Grettir's Outlawry</i>.

That summer, at the Althing, the kin of Grettir spake many things
concerning his outlawry, and some deemed he had outworn the years
thereof, if he had come at all into the twentieth year; but they who
had blood-suits against him would not have it so, and said, that he
had done many an outlaw's deed since he was first outlawed, and deemed
his time ought to last longer therefor.

At that time was a new lawman made, Stein, the son of Thorgest, the
son of Stein the Far-sailing, the son of Thorir Autumn-mirk; the
mother of Stein was Arnora, the daughter of Thord the Yeller; and
Stein was a wise man.

Now was he prayed for the word of decision; and he bade them search
and see whether this were the twentieth summer since Grettir was made
an outlaw, and thus it seemed to be.

But then stood forth Thorir of Garth, and brought all into dispute
again, for he found that Grettir had been one winter out here a
sackless man, amidst the times of his outlawry, and then nineteen were
the winters of his outlawry found to be. Then said the lawman that no
one should be longer in outlawry than twenty winters in all, though he
had done outlaw's deeds in that time.

"But before that, I declare no man sackless."

Now because of this was the acquittal delayed for this time, but
it was thought a sure thing that he would be made sackless the next
summer. But that misliked the Skagafirthers exceeding ill, if Grett