is family and had never been out of it.

"Whence came this treasure?" he asked.

Grettir then spake a verse:

"Scatterer of gold! 'twas the lust of wealth
that urged my hand to ravish the grave.
This know; but none hereafter, I ween,
will be fain to ransack Fafnir's lair."

Thorfinn said: "You don't seem to take it very seriously; no one ever
before had any wish to break open the howe. But since I know that all
treasure which is hidden in the earth or buried in a howe is in a wrong
place I hold you guilty of no misdeed, especially since you have brought
it to me."

Grettir answered:

"The monster is slain! in the dismal tomb
I have captured a sword, dire wounder of men.
Would it were mine I a treasure so rare
I never would suffer my hand to resign."

"You have spoken well," Thorfinn answered. "But before I can give you
the sword you must display your prowess in some way. I never got it from
my father whilst he lived."

Grettir said: "No one knows to whom the greatest profit will fall ere
all is done."

Thorfinn took the treasure and kept the sword in his own custody
near his bed. The winter came on bringing Yule-tide, and nothing more
happened that need be told of.

CHAPTER XIX. BERSERKS AT HARAMARSEY

The following summer jarl Eirik the son of Hakon was preparing to leave
his country and sail to the West to join his brother-in-law King Knut
the Great in England, leaving the government of Norway in the hands of
Hakon his son, who, being an infant, was placed under the government and
regency of Eirik's brother, jarl Sveinn.

Before leaving Eirik summoned all his Landmen and the larger bondis to
meet him. Eirik the jarl was an able ruler, and they had much discussion
regarding the laws and their administration. It was considered a scandal
in the land that pirates and berserks should be able to come into the
country and challenge respectable people to the holmgang for their money
or their women, no weregild being paid whichever fell. Many had lost
their money and been put to shame in this way; some indeed had lost
their lives. For this reason jarl Eirik abolished all holmgang in Norway
and declared all robbers and berserks who disturbed the peace outlaws.
Thorfinn the son of Kar of Haramarsey, being a man of wise counsel and a
close friend of the jarl, was present at the meeting.

The worst of these ruffians were two brothers named Thorir Paunch and
Ogmund