yed there through the night. In the morning
Gest's body was buried, and he and Osvif rested in one grave. So
Gest's soothsaying was fulfilled, in that now it was shorter between
them than at the time when one dwelt at Bardistrand and the other in
Saelingsdale. Thord the Low then went home as soon as he was ready.
That next night a wild storm arose, and drove the ice on to the land
again, where it held on long through the winter, so that there was no
going about in boats. Men thought this most marvellous, that the
weather had allowed Gest's body to be taken across when there was no
crossing before nor afterwards during the winter.

CHAP. LXVII

The Death of Thorgils Hallason, A.D. 1020

Thorarin was the name of a man who lived at Longdale: he was a
chieftain, but not a mighty one. His son was named Audgisl, and was a
nimble sort of a man. Thorgils Hallason took the chieftainship from
them both, father and son. [Sidenote: Snorri advises Audgisl] Audgisl
went to see Snorri Godi, and told him of this unfairness, and asked
him to help. Snorri answered only by fair words, and belittled the
whole affair; but answered, "Now that Halla's-grig is getting too
forward and swaggering. Will Thorgils then happen on no man that will
not give in to him in everything? No doubt he is a big man and
doughty, but men as good as he is have also been sent to Hel." And
when Audgisl went away Snorri gave him an inlaid axe. The next spring
Thorgils Hallason and Thorstein the Black went south to Burgfirth, and
offered atonement to the sons of Helgi and his other kinsmen, and they
came to terms of peace on the matter, and fair honour was done (to
Helgi's side). Thorstein paid two parts of the atonement for the
manslaughter, and the third part Thorgils was to pay, payment being
due at the Thing. In the summer Thorgils rode to the Thing, but when
he and his men came to the lava field by Thingvellir, they saw a woman
coming to meet them, and a mighty big one she was. Thorgils rode up to
her, but she turned aside, and said this--

"Take care
If you go forward,
And be wary
Of Snorri's wiles,
No one can escape,
For so wise is Snorri."

And after that she went her way. Then Thorgils said, "It has seldom
happened so before, when luck was with me, that you were leaving the
Thing when I was riding to it." He now rode to the Thing and to his
own booth. And through the early part the Thing was quiet. [Sidenote:
Thorgil