is thine only friend</i>, whereso thou art, Noise; for shamefully hast
thou bewrayed thy master, albeit he was nought good."

Then many laid evil things to his charge for his ill faith, and beat
him till he was well-nigh past booting for, and let him lie there; but
they went up to the hut and smote mightily on the door.

"Pied-belly[19] is knocking hard at the door, brother," says Illugi.

[Footnote 19: 'Pied-belly,' the name of the tame ram told of before.]

"Yea, yea, hard, and over hard," says Grettir; and therewithal the
door brake asunder.

Then sprang Illugi to his weapons and guarded the door, in such wise
that there was no getting in for them. Long time they set on him
there, and could bring nought against him save spear-thrusts, and
still Illugi smote all the spear-heads from the shafts. But when they
saw that they might thus bring nought to pass, they leapt up on to the
roof of the hut, and tore off the thatch; then Grettir got to his feet
and caught up a spear, and thrust out betwixt the rafters; but before
that stroke was Karr, a home-man of Halldor of Hof, and forthwithal it
pierced him through.

Then spoke Angle, and bade men fare warily and guard themselves well,
"for we may prevail against them if we follow wary redes."

So they tore away the thatch from the ends of the ridge-beam, and bore
on the beam till it brake asunder.

Now Grettir might not rise from his knee, but he caught up the
short-sword, Karr's-loom, and even therewith down leapt those men in
betwixt the walls, and a hard fray befell betwixt them. Grettir
smote with the short-sword at Vikar, one of the followers of Hialti
Thordson, and caught him on the left shoulder, even as he leapt in
betwixt the walls, and cleft him athwart the shoulder down unto the
right side, so that the man fell asunder, and the body so smitten
atwain tumbled over on to Grettir, and for that cause he might not
heave aloft the short-sword as speedily as he would, and therewith
Thorbiorn Angle thrust him betwixt the shoulders, and great was that
wound he gave.

Then cried Grettir, "<i>Bare is the back of the brotherless</i>." And
Illugi threw his shield over Grettir, and warded him in so stout a
wise that all men praised his defence.

Then said Grettir to Angle, "Who then showed thee the way here to the
island?"

Said Angle, "The Lord Christ showed it us."

"Nay," said Grettir, "but I guess that the accursed hag, thy
foster-mother, showed it thee, for i