rdsmen who goad me
To strive in the Valkyries' tempest
On the holme; but I fear not to fight them--
Unflinching in battle am I!"

The were even about to begin fighting, when Thord came and spoke to them
saying:--"Woeful waste of life I call it, if brave men shall be smitten
down for the sake of any such matters. I am ready to make it up between
ye two."

To this they agreed, and he said:--"Vali, this methinks is the most
likely way of bringing you together. Let Bersi take thy sister Thordis
to wife. It is a match that may well be to thy worship."

Bersi agreed to this, and it was settled that the land of Brekka should
go along with her as a dowry; and so this troth was plighted between
them. Bersi afterwards had a strong stone wall built around his
homestead, and sat there for many winters in peace.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN. The Rescue Of Steinvor Slim-ankles.

There was a man named Thorarin Alfsson, who lived in the north at
Thambardal; that is a dale which goes up from the fiord called Bitra.
He was a big man and mighty, and he was by-named Thorarin the Strong. He
had spent much of his time in seafaring (as a chapman) and so lucky was
he that he always made the harbour he aimed at.

He had three sons; one was named Alf, the next Loft, and the third
Skofti. Thorarin was a most overbearing man, and his sons took after
him. They were rough, noisy fellows.

Not far away, at Tunga (Tongue) in Bitra, lived a man called Odd. His
daughter was named Steinvor, a pretty girl and well set up; her by-name
was Slim-ankles. Living with Odd were many fisherman; among them,
staying there for the fishing-season, was one Glum, an ill-tempered
carle and bad to deal with.

Now once upon a time these two, Odd and Glum, were in talk together
which were the greatest men in the countryside. Glum reckoned Thorarin
to be foremost, but Odd said Holmgang Bersi was better than he in every
way.

"How can ye make that out?" asked Glum.

"Is there any likeness whatever," said Odd, "between the bravery of
Bersi and the knavery of Thorarin?"

So they talked about this until they fell out, and laid a wager upon it.

Then Glum wend and told Thorarin. He grew very angry and made many a
threat against Odd. And in a while he went and carried off Steinvor
from Tunga, all to spite her father; and he gave out that if Odd
said anything against it, the worse for him: and so took her home to
Thambardal.

Things went on so for a whil