ck of
Olaf I see most clearly, how he blundered in begetting his sons. This
I would bring home to you, Halldor," says she, "because you look upon
yourself as being the foremost among your brothers. Now we will turn
back again, for all my errand here was to put you in mind of this,
lest you should have forgotten it already." Then Halldor answered, "We
shall not put it down as your fault, mother, if this should slip out
of our minds." By way of answer Halldor had few words to say about
this, but his heart swelled with wrath towards Bolli. The winter now
passed and summer came, and time glided on towards the Thing. Halldor
and his brothers made it known that they will ride to the Thing. They
rode with a great company, and set up the booth Olaf had owned. The
Thing was quiet, and no tidings to tell of it. There were at the Thing
from the north the Willowdale men, the sons of Gudmund Solmundson.
Bardi Gudmundson was then eighteen winters old; he was a great and
strong man. The sons of Olaf asked Bardi, their nephew, to go home
with them, and added many pressing words to the invitation. Hall, the
son of Gudmund, was not in Iceland then. Bardi took up their bidding
gladly, for there was much love between those kinsmen. Bardi rode west
from the Thing with the sons of Olaf. They came home to Herdholt, and
Bardi tarried the rest of the summer time.

CHAP. LIV

Halldor prepares to avenge Kjartan

[Sidenote: They plan revenge,] Now Halldor told Bardi in secret that
the brothers had made up their minds to set on Bolli, for they could
no longer withstand the taunts of their mother. "And we will not
conceal from you, kinsman Bardi, that what mostly lay behind the
invitation to you was this, that we wished to have your help and
fellowship." Then Bardi answered, "That will be a matter ill spoken
of, to break the peace on one's own kinsmen, and on the other hand it
seems to me nowise an easy thing to set on Bolli. He has many men
about him and is himself the best of fighters, and is not at a loss
for wise counsel with Gudrun and Osvif at his side. Taking all these
matters together they seem to me nowise easy to overcome." Halldor
said, "There are things we stand more in need of than to make the most
of the difficulties of this affair. Nor have I broached it till I knew
that it must come to pass, that we make earnest of wreaking revenge on
Bolli. And I hope, kinsman, you will not withdraw from doing this
journey with us." Bard