epherd
rode straight into the "town"; and Gunnar said, "Why ridest thou so
hard?"

"I would be faithful to thee," said the man; "I saw men riding down
along Markfleet, eight of them together, and four of them were in
coloured clothes."

Gunnar said, "That must be Otkell".

The lad said, "I have often heard many temper-trying words of
Skamkell's; for Skamkell spoke away there East at Dale, and said that
thou sheddest tears when they rode over thee; but I tell it thee because
I cannot bear to listen to such speeches of worthless men".

"We must not be word-sick," says Gunnar, "but from this day forth thou
shalt do no other work than what thou choosest for thyself."

"Shall I say aught of this to Kolskegg thy brother?" asked the shepherd.

"Go thou and sleep," says Gunnar; "I will tell Kolskegg."

The lad laid him down and fell asleep at once, but Gunnar took the
shepherd's horse and laid his saddle on him; he took his shield, and
girded him with his sword, Oliver's gift; he sets his helm on his head;
takes his bill, and something sung loud in it, and his mother, Rannveig,
heard it. She went up to him and said, "Wrathful art thou now, my son,
and never saw I thee thus before".

Gunnar goes out, and drives the butt of his spear into the earth, and
throws himself into the saddle, and rides away.

His mother, Rannveig, went into the sitting-room, where there was a
great noise of talking.

"Ye speak loud," she says, "but yet the bill gave a louder sound when
Gunnar went out."

Kolskegg heard what she said, and spoke, "This betokens no small
tidings".

"That is well," says Hallgerda, "now they will soon prove whether he
goes away from them weeping."

Kolskegg takes his weapons and seeks him a horse, and rides after Gunnar
as fast as he could.

Gunnar rides across Acretongue, and so to Geilastofna, and thence to
Rangriver, and down the stream to the ford at Hof. There were some women
at the milking-post there. Gunnar jumped off his horse and tied him up.
By this time the others were riding up towards him; there were flat
stones covered with mud in the path that led down to the ford.

Gunnar called out to them and said, "Now is the time to guard
yourselves; here now is the bill, and here now ye will put it to the
proof whether I shed one tear for all of you".

Then they all of them sprang off their horses' backs and made towards
Gunnar. Hallbjorn was the foremost.

"Do not thou come on," says Gunnar; "thee