em, and no honour; he was
not unready to meet them, unless they played him false. Thorvard had
not come to the holmgang when he had been challenged, and therefore the
shame had fallen of itself upon him and his, and they must put up with
it.

So time passed until the Huna-water Thing. Thorvard and Cormac both went
to the meeting, and once they came together.

"Much enmity we owe thee," said Thorvard, "and in many ways. Now
therefore I challenge thee to the holmgang, here at the Thing."

Said Cormac, "Wilt thou be fitter than before? Thou hast drawn back time
after time."

"Nevertheless," said Thorvard, "I will risk it. We can abide thy spite
no longer."

"Well," said Cormac, "I'll not stand in the way;" and went home to Mel.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO. What The Witch Did For Them In Their Fights.

At Spakonufell (Spae-wife's-fell) lived Thordis the spae-wife, of whom
we have told before, with her husband Thorolf. They were both at the
Thing, and many a man thought her good-will was of much avail. So
Thorvard sought her out, to ask her help against Cormac, and gave her a
fee; and she made him ready for the holmgang according to her craft.

Now Cormac told his mother what was forward, and she asked if he thought
good would come of it.

"Why not?" said he.

"That will not be enough for thee," said Dalla. "Thorvard will never
make bold to fight without witchcraft to help him. I think it wise for
thee to see Thordis the spae-wife, for there is going to be foul play in
this affair."

"It is little to my mind," said he; and yet went to see Thordis, and
asked her help.

"Too late ye have come," said she. "No weapon will bite on him now. And
yet I would not refuse thee. Bide here to-night, and seek thy good luck.
Anyway, I can manage so that iron bite thee no more than him."

So Cormac stayed there for the night; and, awaking, found that some one
was groping round the coverlet at his head. "Who is there?" he asked,
but whoever it was made off, and out at the house-door, and Cormac
after. And then he saw it was Thordis, and she was going to the place
where the fight was to be, carrying a goose under her arm.

He asked what it all meant, and she set down the goose, saying, "Why
couldn't ye keep quiet?"

So he lay down again, but held himself awake, for he wanted to know what
she would be doing. Three times she came, and every time he tried to
find out what she was after. The third time, just as he came out, she