r returned speedily home to his companion, and when they met spoke
a verse:

"I will not ride to the warriors' arms;
too great the danger is.
I dare not meet the storm of Vidri;
but homeward turn my steps."

They rode off as fast as they could westwards towards the homestead in
Gard before Thorir could come there with his company. When they were
near the place they met a man on the road who did not know them. There
was a young woman standing outside, very much dressed up, and Grettir
asked who she was. The man who had come up said she was Thorir's
daughter. Then Grettir spoke a verse:

"Maiden, when thy father comes
tell him, little though it please him,
how I rode his dwelling past;
only two who with me rode."

From this the man learnt who it was, and rode to the house to tell them
that Grettir had come round. When Thorir returned many men thought that
he had been bamboozled by Grettir. He then set spies to watch Grettir's
movements. Grettir took the precaution of sending his companion to the
western districts with his horse, while he himself went North into the
mountains at the beginning of the winter, muffling up his face so that
no one should recognise him. Every one thought that Thorir had fared no
better but even worse than at their former encounter.

CHAPTER LXIV. GHOSTS IN BARDARDAL

There was dwelling at Eyjardalsa in Bardardal a priest named Steinn, a
good farmer and wealthy. His son Kjartan was grown up and was now a fine
young man. Thorsteinn the White was a man who dwelt at Sandhaugar to
the south of Eyjardalsa; his wife Steinvor was young and of a merry
disposition. They had children who at this time were yet young. Their
place was generally thought to be much haunted by trolls. Two winters
before Grettir came North into those parts, Steinvor the mistress of
Sandhaugar went as usual to spend Yule at Eyjardalsa, while her husband
stayed at home. Men lay down to sleep in the evening, and in the night
they heard a great noise in the room near the bondi's bed. No one dared
to get up to see what was the matter because there were so few of
them. The mistress of the house returned home the next morning, but her
husband had disappeared and no one knew what had become of him. So the
next season passed. The following winter the mistress wanted to go to
mass, and told her servant to stay at home; he was very unwilling but
said she should be obeyed. It happened