ok to their friendship again and
held it unbroken ever after.

Because of these happenings, Steingerd fell into loathing of Bersi and
made up her mind to part with him; and when she had got everything
ready for going away she went to him and said:--"First ye were called
Eygla's-Bersi, and then Holmgang-Bersi, but now your right name will be
Breech-Bersi!" and spoke her divorce from him.

She went north to her kinsfolk, and meeting with her brother Thorkel she
bade him seek her goods again from Bersi--her pin-money and her dowry,
saying that she would not own him now that he was maimed. Thorkel
Toothgnasher never blamed her for that, and agreed to undertake her
errand; but the winter slipped by and his going was put off.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN. The Bane Of Thorkel Toothgnasher.

Afterwards, in the spring, Thorkel Toothgnasher set out to find Bersi
and to seek Steingerd's goods again. Bersi said that his burden was
heavy enough to bear, even though both together underwent the weight of
it. "And I shall not pay the money!" said he.

Said Thorkel, "I bid thee to the holmgang at Orrestholm beside Tjaldanes
(Tentness)."

"That ye will think hardly worth while," said Bersi, "such a champion as
you are; and yet I undertake for to come."

So they came to the holme and fell to the holmgang. Thord carried the
shield before Bersi, and Vali was Thorkel's shield-bearer. When two
shields had been hacked to splinters, Bersi bade Thorkel take the third;
but he would not. Bersi still had a shield, and a sword that was long
and sharp.

Said Thorkel, "The sword ye have, Bersi, is longer than lawful."

"That shall not be," cried Bersi; and took up his other sword, Whitting,
two-handed, and smote Thorkel his deathblow. Then sang he:--

(43)
"I have smitten Toothgnasher and slain him,
And I smile at the pride of his boasting.
One more to my thirty I muster,
And, men! say ye this of the battle:--
In the world not a lustier liveth
Among lords of the steed of the oar-bench;
Though by eld of my strength am I stinted
To stain the black wound-bird with blood."

After these things Vali bade Bersi to the holmgang, but he answered in
this song:--

(44)
"They that waken the war of the mail-coats,
For warfare and manslaying famous,
To the lists they have bid me to battle,
Nor bitter I think it not woeful.
It is sport for yon swo