thy good clothes. Thou must take a small axe in thy hand, and each of
you must have two horses, one fat, the other lean. Thou shalt carry
hardware and smith's work with thee hence, and ye must ride off early
to-morrow morning, and when ye are come across Whitewater westwards,
mind and slouch thy hat well over thy brows. Then men will ask who is
this tall man, and thy mates shall say--'Here is Huckster Hedinn the
Big, a man from Eyjafirth, who is going about with smith's work for
sale'. This Hedinn is ill-tempered and a chatterer--a fellow who thinks
he alone knows everything. Very often he snatches back his wares, and
flies at men if everything is not done as he wishes. So thou shalt ride
west to Borgarfirth offering all sorts of wares for sale, and be sure
often to cry off thy bargains, so that it will be noised abroad that
Huckster Hedinn is the worst of men to deal with, and that no lies have
been told of his bad behaviour. So thou shalt ride to Northwaterdale,
and to Hrutfirth, and Laxriverdale, till thou comest to Hauskuldstede.
There thou must stay a night, and sit in the lowest place, and hang thy
head down. Hauskuld will tell them all not to meddle nor make with
Huckster Hedinn, saying he is a rude unfriendly fellow. Next morning
thou must be off early and go to the farm nearest Hrutstede. There thou
must offer thy goods for sale, praising up all that is worst, and
tinkering up the faults. The master of the house will pry about and find
out the faults. Thou must snatch the wares away from him, and speak ill
to him. He will say--'Twas not to be hoped that thou wouldst behave well
to him, when thou behavest ill to every one else. Then thou shalt fly at
him, though it is not thy wont, but mind and spare thy strength, that
thou mayest not be found out. Then a man will be sent to Hrutstede to
tell Hrut he had best come and part you. He will come at once and ask
thee to his house, and thou must accept his offer. Thou shalt greet
Hrut, and he will answer well. A place will be given thee on the lower
bench over against Hrut's high-seat. He will ask if thou art from the
North, and thou shalt answer that thou art a man of Eyjafirth. He will
go on to ask if there are very many famous men there. 'Shabby fellows
enough and to spare,' thou must answer. 'Dost thou know Reykiardale and
the parts about?' he will ask. To which thou must answer--'I know all
Iceland by heart'.

"Are there any stout champions left in Reykiardale?'