ar and Njal stood looking south towards
the court.

Geir the priest bade Gunnar to listen to his oath, and then he took the
oath, and afterwards declared his suit.

Then he let men bear witness of the notice given of the suit; then he
called upon the neighbours who were to form the inquest to take their
seats; then he called on Gunnar to challenge the inquest; and then he
called on the inquest to utter their finding. Then the neighbours who
were summoned on the inquest went to the court and took witness, and
said that there was a bar to their finding in the suit as to Audulf's
slaying, because the next of kin who ought to follow it up was in
Norway, and so they had nothing to do with that suit.

After that they uttered their finding in the suit as to Otkell, and
brought in Gunnar as truly guilty of killing him.

Then Geir the priest called on Gunnar for his defence, and took witness
of all the steps in the suit which had been proved.

Then Gunnar, in his turn, called on Geir the priest to listen to his
oath, and to the defence which he was about to bring forward in the
suit. Then he took the oath and said--

"This defence I make to this suit, that I took witness and outlawed
Otkell before my neighbours for that bloody wound which I got when
Otkell gave me a hurt with his spur; but thee, Geir the priest, I forbid
by a lawful protest made before a priest to pursue this suit, and so,
too, I forbid the judges to hear it; and with this I make all the steps
hitherto taken in this suit void and of none-effect. I forbid thee by a
lawful protest, a full, fair, and binding protest, as I have a right to
forbid thee by the common custom of the Thing and by the law of the
land.

"Besides, I will tell thee something else which I mean to do," says
Gunnar.

"What!" says Geir, "wilt thou challenge me to the island as thou art
wont, and not bear the law?"

"Not that," says Gunnar; "I shall summon thee at the Hill of Laws for
that thou calledst those men on the inquest who had no right to deal
with Audulf's slaying, and I will declare thee for that guilty of
outlawry."

Then Njal said, "Things must not take this turn, for the only end of it
will be that this strife will be carried to the uttermost. Each of you,
as it seems to me, has much on his side. There are some of these
manslaughters, Gunnar, about which thou canst say nothing to hinder the
court from finding thee guilty; but thou hast set on foot a suit against
Geir, i