d found there the woman's
log. He thought himself lucky, laboured home with it to the hut and
threw it down with a great noise which Grettir heard.

"Glaum has got something; I must go out and see what it is," he said,
and went out, taking his wood-cutting axe with him.

"Let your cutting up of it be no worse than my carrying of it home!"
said Glaum.

Grettir was irritated with the thrall; he used his axe with both hands
and did not notice what tree it was. Directly the axe touched the tree
it turned flat and glanced off into Grettir's right leg. It entered
above his right knee and pierced to the bone, making a severe wound.
Grettir turned to the tree and said: "He who meant me evil has
prevailed; it will not end with this. This is the very log which I twice
rejected. Two disasters have you now brought about, Glaum; first you let
our fire go out, and now you have brought in this tree of ill-fortune. A
third mistake will be the death of you and of us all."

Illugi then bound the wound. It bled little; Grettir slept well that
night and three days passed without its paining him. When they opened
the bandages the flesh had grown together and the wound was almost
healed. Illugi said: "I do not think that you will suffer very long with
this wound."

"That would be well," said Grettir; "it has happened strangely however
it ends; but my mind tells me otherwise."

CHAPTER LXXX. THE SPELL CONTINUES TO WORK

One evening they all went to bed, and about midnight Grettir began to
toss about. Illugi asked him why he was so restless. Grettir said his
leg was hurting him and he thought there must be some change in its
appearance. They fetched a light, unbound the wound and found it swollen
and blue as coal. It had opened again and was much worse than at first.
He had much pain after that and could not keep quiet, nor would any
sleep come to his eyes.

Grettir said: "We must be prepared for it. This illness of mine is
not for nothing; there is witchcraft in it. The old woman has meant to
punish me for the stone which I threw at her." Illugi said: "I told you
that no good would come of that old woman."

"It will be all the same in the end," said Grettir, and spoke a verse:

"Often when men have threatened my life
I have known to defend it against the foe:
but now 'tis a woman has done me to death.
Truly the spells of the wicked are mighty."

"Now we must be on the watch; Thorbjorn Angle will not l