t wound
that was. Bolli hewed in return, and struck Lambi's shoulder, and the
sword flew down along the side of him, and he was rendered forthwith
unfit to fight, and never after that time for the rest of his life was
his arm any more use to him. [Sidenote: Bolli's death] At this brunt
Helgi, the son of Hardbien, rushed in with a spear, the head of which
was an ell long, and the shaft bound with iron. When Bolli saw that he
cast away his sword, and took his shield in both hands, and went
towards the dairy door to meet Helgi. Helgi thrust at Bolli with the
spear right through the shield and through him. Now Bolli leaned up
against the dairy wall, and the men rushed into the dairy, Halldor and
his brothers, to wit, and Thorgerd went into the dairy as well. Then
spoke Bolli, "Now it is safe, brothers, to come nearer than hitherto
you have done," and said he weened that defence now would be but
short. Thorgerd answered his speech, and said there was no need to
shrink from dealing unflinchingly with Bolli, and bade them "walk
between head and trunk." Bolli stood still against the dairy wall, and
held tight to him his kirtle lest his inside should come out. Then
Steinthor Olafson leapt at Bolli, and hewed at his neck with a large
axe just above his shoulders, and forthwith his head flew off.
Thorgerd bade him "hale enjoy hands," and said that Gudrun would have
now a while a red hair to trim for Bolli. [Sidenote: Gudrun's courage]
After that they went out of the dairy. Gudrun now came up from the
brook, and spoke to Halldor, and asked for tidings of what had
befallen in their dealings with Bolli. They told her all that had
happened. Gudrun was dressed in a kirtle of "ram"-stuff,[7] and a
tight-fitting woven bodice, a high bent coif on her head, and she had
tied a scarf round her with dark-blue stripes, and fringed at the
ends. Helgi Hardbienson went up to Gudrun, and caught hold of the
scarf end, and wiped the blood off the spear with it, the same spear
with which he had thrust Bolli through. Gudrun glanced at him and
smiled slightly. Then Halldor said, "That was blackguardly and
gruesomely done." Helgi bade him not be angry about it, "For I am
minded to think that under this scarf end abides undoer of my life."
Then they took their horses and rode away. Gudrun went along with them
talking with them for a while, and then she turned back.

[Footnote 7: Unknown what stuff.]

CHAP. LVI

Bolli Bollison is born, A.D. 1008