llowers. It seems to me that those are only women." A good many of
them gainsaid this. Thorgils said that Thorleik should rule in the
matter, for he knew that he was a very far-sighted man. They now
turned to the dairy. Hrapp rode first, shaking the spear-stick he
carried in his hand, and thrusting it forward in front of himself, and
saying now was high time to try one's self. Helgi and his followers
were not aware of anything till Thorgils and his company had
surrounded the dairy. Helgi and his men shut the door, and seized
their weapons. Hrapp leapt forthwith upon the roof of the dairy, and
asked if old Reynard was in. Helgi answered, "You will come to take
for granted that he who is here within is somewhat hurtful, and will
know how to bite near the warren." And forthwith Helgi thrust his
spear out through the window and through Hrapp, so that he fell dead
to earth from the spear. Thorgils bade the others go heedfully and
beware of mishaps, "for we have plenty of means wherewith to get the
dairy into our power, and to overcome Helgi, placed as he is now, for
I am given to think that here but few men are gathered together."
[Sidenote: The breaking of the beam] The dairy was rigged over one
roof-beam, resting on two gables so that the ends of the beam stuck
out beyond each gable; there was a single turf thatch on the house,
which had not yet grown together. Then Thorgils told some of his men
to go to the beam ends, and pull them so hard that either the beam
should break or else the rafters should slip in off it, but others
were to guard the door lest those within should try and get out. Five
they were, Helgi and his within the dairy--Hardbien, his son, to wit,
he was twelve years old--his shepherd and two other men, who had come
to him that summer, being outlaws--one called Thorgils, and the other
Eyolf. Thorstein the Black and Svein, son of Alf o' Dales, stood
before the door. The rest of the company were tearing the roof off the
dairy. Hunbogi the Strong and the sons of Armod took one end of the
beam, Thorgils, Lambi, and Gudrun's sons the other end. They now pull
hard at the beam till it broke asunder in the middle; just at this
Hardbien thrust a halberd out through where the door was broken, and
the thrust struck the steel cap of Thorstein the Black and stuck in
his forehead, and that was a very great wound. Then Thorstein said, as
was true, that there were men before them. Next Helgi leapt so boldly
out of the door