do this deed for
nothing."

He took his weapons and his horse, and rode up to Fleetlithe, and there
met men who were coming down from Lithend. They were at home east in the
Mark. They asked Atli whither he meant to go? He said he was riding to
look for an old jade. They said that was a small errand for such a
workman, "but still 'twould be better to ask those who have been about
last night".

"Who are they?" says he.

"Killing-Kol," say they, "Hallgerda's house-carle, fared from the fold
just now, and has been awake all night."

"I do not know whether I dare to meet him," says Atli, "he is
bad-tempered, and may be that I shall let another's wound be my
warning."

"Thou bearest that look beneath the brows as though thou wert no
coward," they said, and showed him where Kol was.

Then he spurred his horse and rides fast, and when he meets Kol, Atli
said to him--

"Go the pack-saddle bands well?"

"That's no business of thine, worthless fellow, nor of any one else
whence thou comest."

Atli said--"Thou hast something behind that is earnest work, but that is
to die".

After that Atli thrust at him with his spear, and struck him about his
middle. Kol swept at him with his axe, but missed him, and fell off his
horse, and died at once.

Atli rode till he met some of Hallgerda's workmen, and said, "Go ye up
to the horse yonder, and look to Kol, for he has fallen off, and is
dead".

"Hast thou slain him?" say they.

"Well, 'twill seem to Hallgerda as though he has not fallen by his own
hand."

After that Atli rode home and told Bergthora; she thanked him for this
deed, and for the words which he had spoken about it.

"I do not know," says he, "what Njal will think of this."

"He will take it well upon his hands," she says, "and I will tell thee
one thing as a token of it, that he has earned away with him to the
Thing the price of that thrall which we took last spring, and that money
will now serve for Kol; but though peace be made thou must still beware
of thyself, for Hallgerda will keep no peace."

"Wilt thou send at all a man to Njal to tell him of the slaying?"

"I will not," she says, "I should like it better that Kol were
unatoned."

Then they stopped talking about it.

Hallgerda was told of Kol's slaying, and of the words that Atli had
said. She said Atli should be paid off for them. She sent a man to the
Thing to tell Gunnar of Kol's slaying; he answered little or nothing,
and sent a man to