hat those who are
besetting us about will not know whether men or women be riding there;
they need give us only a short respite till we bring men together
here, and then it is not so certain on which side the outlook will be
most hopeful." The women now rode off, four together. [Sidenote: Hrapp
joins the brothers and Thorgils] Thorgils misdoubts him lest news of
their coming may have reached Helgi, and so bade the others take their
horses and ride after them at their swiftest, and so they did, but
before they mounted a man came riding up to them openly in all men's
sight. He was small of growth and all on the alert, wondrously swift
of glance and had a lively horse. This man greeted Thorgils in a
familiar manner, and Thorgils asked him his name and family and also
whence he had come. He said his name was Hrapp, and he was from
Broadfirth on his mother's side. "And then I grew up, and I bear the
name of Fight-Hrapp, with the name follows that I am nowise an easy
one to deal with, albeit I am small of growth; but I am a southlander
on my father's side, and have tarried in the south for some winters.
Now this is a lucky chance, Thorgils, I have happened of you here, for
I was minded to come and see you anyhow, even though I should find it
a business somewhat hard to follow up. [Sidenote: His talk and
behaviour] I have a trouble on hand; I have fallen out with my master,
and have had from him a treatment none of the best; but it goes with
the name, that I will stand no man such shameful mishandling, so I
made an outset at him, but I guess I wounded him little or not at all,
for I did not wait long enough to see for myself, but thought myself
safe when I got on to the back of this nag, which I took from the
goodman." Hrapp says much, but asks for few things; yet soon he got to
know that they were minded to set on Helgi, and that pleased him very
much, and he said they would not have to look for him behind.

CHAP. LXIV

The Death of Helgi, A.D. 1019

Thorgils and his followers, as soon as they were on horseback, set off
at a hard ride, and rode now out of the wood. They saw four men
riding away from the dairy, and they rode very fast too. Seeing this,
some of Thorgils' companions said they had better ride after them at
their swiftest. [Sidenote: The women leave the dairy] Then said
Thorleik Bollison, "We will just go to the dairy and see what men are
there, for I think it less likely that these be Helgi and his
fo