he day, and
as they rowed home in the evening they were very merry. Thorolf kept
spying about Hall's doings during the day, and is standing in the
landing-place when Hall came to land. Hall rowed in the forehold of
the boat, and leapt overboard, intending to steady the boat; and as he
jumped to land Thorolf happens to be standing near, and forthwith hews
at him, and the blow caught him on his neck against the shoulder, and
off flew his head. Thorolf fled away after that, and Hall's followers
were all in a flurried bustle about him. The story of Hall's murder
was told all over the islands, and every one thought it was indeed
great news; for the man was of high birth, although he had had little
good luck. Thorolf now fled from the islands, for he knew no man there
who would shelter him after such a deed, and he had no kinsmen he
could expect help from; while in the neighbourhood were men from whom
it might be surely looked for that they would beset his life, being
moreover men of much power, such as was Ingjald, the Sheepisles'
Priest, the brother of Hall. [Sidenote: Thorolf's flight] Thorolf got
himself ferried across to the mainland. He went with great secrecy.
Nothing is told of his journey, until one evening he came to
Goddistead. Vigdis, the wife of Thord Goddi, was some sort of relation
to Thorolf, and on that account he turned towards that house. Thorolf
had also heard before how matters stood there, and how Vigdis was
endowed with a good deal more courage than Thord, her husband. And
forthwith the same evening that Thorolf came to Goddistead he went to
Vigdis to tell her his trouble, and to beg her help. Vigdis answered
his pleading in this way: "I do not deny our relationship, and in this
way alone I can look upon the deed you have done, that I deem you in
no way the worser man for it. Yet this I see, that those who shelter
you will thereby have at stake their lives and means, seeing what
great men they are who will be taking up the blood-suit. And Thord,"
she said, "my husband, is not much of a warrior; but the counsels of
us women are mostly guided by little foresight if anything is wanted.
Yet I am loath to keep aloof from you altogether, seeing that, though
I am but a woman, you have set your heart on finding some shelter
here." After that Vigdis led him to an outhouse, and told him to wait
for her there, and put a lock on the door. Then she went to Thord, and
said, "A man has come here as a guest, named Thoro