d I call on thee to give up all claim to thy goods,
if thou darest not to fight with me."

This they said several times, and all the household burst out laughing.
Then Hauskuld got wroth, and struck the boy who called himself Mord with
a switch, and the blow fell on his face, and graced the skin.

"Get out with thee," said Hauskuld to the boy, "and make no game of us;"
but Hrut said, "Come hither to me," and the boy did so. Then Hrut drew a
ring from his finger and gave it to him, and said--

"Go away, and try no man's temper henceforth."

Then the boy went away saying--

"Thy manliness I will bear in mind all my life."

From this matter Hrut got great praise, and after that they went home;
and that was the end of Mord's and Hrut's quarrel.

CHAPTER IX.

THORWALD GETS HALLGERDA TO WIFE.

Now, it must be told how Hallgerda, Hauskuld's daughter, grows up, and
is the fairest of women to look on; she was tall of stature, too, and
therefore she was called "Longcoat". She was fair-haired, and had so
much of it that she could hide herself in it; but she was lavish and
hard-hearted. Her foster-father's name was Thiostolf; he was a South
islander[6] by stock; he was a strong man, well skilled in arms, and had
slain many men, and made no atonement in money for one of them. It was
said, too, that his rearing had not bettered Hallgerda's temper.

There was a man named Thorwald; he was Oswif's son, and dwelt out on
Middlefells strand, under the Fell. He was rich and well to do, and
owned the islands called Bear-isles, which lie out in Broadfirth, whence
he got meal and stock fish. This Thorwald was a strong and courteous
man, though somewhat hasty in temper. Now, it fell out one day that
Thorwald and his father were talking together of Thorwald's marrying,
and where he had best look for a wife, and it soon came out that he
thought there wasn't a match fit for him far or near.

"Well," said Oswif, "wilt thou ask for Hallgerda Longcoat, Hauskuld's
daughter?"

"Yes! I will ask for her," said Thorwald.

"But that is not a match that will suit either of you," Oswif went on to
say, "for she has a will of her own, and thou art stern-tempered and
unyielding."

"For all that I will try my luck there," said Thorwald, "so it's no good
trying to hinder me."

"Ay!" said Oswif, "and the risk is all thine own."

After that they set off on a wooing journey to Hauskuldstede, and had a
hearty welcome. They were not long in