s side with such violence that three of his
ribs were broken and Odd fell into the pool with his horse and all the
mares that were tethered there by the bank. Some people swam out and
rescued them. There was great excitement about it. Kormak's men on one
side and those of Bjarg on the other seized their arms, but the men of
Hrutafjord and Vatnsnes came between them and parted them.

They all went home in great wrath, but kept quiet for a time. Atli said
very little, but Grettir rather swaggered and said that they should meet
again if he had his way.

CHAPTER XXX. THORBJORN OXMAIN AND THE FRAY AT HRUTAFJARDARHALS

There was living in Thoroddsstad in Hrutafjord a man named Thorbjorn. He
was the son of Arnor Downy-Nose, the son of Thorodd who had settled in
that side of Hrutafjord which lies opposite to Bakki. Thorbjorn was of
all men the strongest, and was called Oxmain. He had a brother named
Thorodd, called Drapustuf. Their mother was Gerd, daughter of Bodvar
from Bodvarsholar. Thorbjorn was a great swashbuckler and kept a large
troop of followers. He was noted for being worse at getting servants
than other men, and scarcely paid them any wages. He was not a man easy
to deal with. There was a kinsman of his, also named Thorbjorn, called
Slowcoach. He was a mariner, and the two namesakes were in partnership
together. He was always at Thoroddsstad and people did not think he made
Thorbjorn any better. He liked to talk scandal and spoke offensively of
several men.

There was a man named Thorir, a son of Thorkell, at Bordeyr. He first
lived at Melar in Hrutafjord, and had a daughter named Helga who married
Sleitu-Helgi. After the Fagrabrekka affair Thorir went South to Haukadal
and lived in Skard, selling the property at Melar to Thorhall the
Winelander, the son of Gamli. Thorhall's son Gamli married Rannveig, the
daughter of Asmund Longhair, Grettir's sister. They lived at that time
in Melar and had a good establishment. Thorir of Skard had two sons,
Gunnar and Thorgeir, both promising men, who took over the property from
their father, but were always with Thorbjorn Oxmain, and became very
overbearing.

In the summer of that year Kormak and Thorgils rode with a kinsman
of theirs named Narfi South to Nordrardal on some business. Odd the
Needy-Skald had recovered from the hurts which he had received at the
horse-fight and was of the party. While they were south of the heath
Grettir was journeying from his home a