that he nearly broke them in. The folk were
exceedingly afraid thereat; many fainted or went mad, while others
incontinently fled there and then. Another shepherd, big and strong,
came to take Glam's place; he was nowise dismayed by the hauntings,
but deemed it good sport rather than not when Glam rode the
house-roofs. But when another Christmas came the shepherd was missed;
search was made, and he was found on the hill-side by Glam's cairn,
his neck broken, and every bone in his body smashed. Then Glam waxed
more mighty than ever; the cattle bellowed and roared, and gored each
other; the byre cracked, and a cattle-man who had been long in
Thorhall's service was found dead, his head in one stall and feet in
another. None could go up the dale with horse or hound, because it was
straightway slain, and it was no easy task to get servants to remain
at the steading.

Things had come to this pass when Grettir rode over to Thorhall-stead,
where the owner gave him good welcome, though warning him that few
cared to stay long under his roof. Grettir's horse was locked up in
the stable, and the first night nothing happened; but on the second
the stable was broken into, the horse dragged out to the door, and
every bone of him broken. Next night Grettir sat up to watch; and when
a third of the night was past, he heard a terrible din as of one
riding the roof, and driving his heels against the thatch so that
every rafter cracked again. He went to the door, and saw Glam, whose
head, as it appeared to him, was monstrously big. Glam came slowly in
and took hold of a bundle lying on the seat, but Grettir planted his
foot against a beam, seized the bundle also, and pulled against Glam
with such strength that the wrapper was rent between them. Glam
wondered who might this be that pulled with such strength against him,
when Grettir rushed in, seized him round the waist, and tried to force
him down backwards; but he shrank all aback by reason of Glam's
strength, which, indeed, seemed to be almost greater than his own. A
wondrous hard wrestling bout was that; but at last Grettir, gathering
up his strength for a sudden effort, drove against Glam's breast, at
the same moment pushing with both feet against the half-sunken stone
that stood in the threshold of the door. For this Glam was not ready,
therefore he reeled backwards and spun against the door, so that his
shoulders caught against the upper part of it; the roof burst--both
rafters and