ll's son, "every struggle with Gunnar has had
but one end, that few have gained the day; besides, methinks it sounds
ill to be called a peace-breaker."

"They have broken the peace, not we," says Thorgeir Starkad's son.
"Gunnar took away from thee thy cornfield; and he has taken Moeidsknoll
from my father and me."

And so they settle it between them to fall on Gunnar; and then Thorgeir
said that Gunnar would be all alone at home in a few nights' space, "and
then thou shalt come to meet me with eleven men, but I will have as
many".

After that Thorgeir rode home.

CHAPTER LXVIII.

OF NJAL AND THOSE NAMESAKES.

Now when Kolskegg and the house-carles had been three nights in the
isles, Thorgeir Starkad's son had news of that, and sends word to his
namesake that he should come to meet him on Threecorner ridge.

After that Thorgeir of the Threecorner busked him with eleven men; he
rides up on the ridge and there waits for his namesake.

And now Gunnar is at home in his house, and those namesakes ride into a
wood hard by. There such a drowsiness came over them that they could do
naught else but sleep. So they hung their shields up in the boughs, and
tethered their horses, and laid their weapons by their sides.

Njal was that night up in Thorolfsfell, and could not sleep at all, but
went out and in by turns.

Thorhilda asked Njal why he could not sleep?

"Many things now flit before my eyes," said he; "I see many fetches of
Gunnar's bitter foes, and what is very strange is this, they seem to be
mad with rage, and yet they fare without plan or purpose."

A little after, a man rode up to the door and got off his horse's back
and went in, and there was come the shepherd of Thorhilda and her
husband.

"Didst thou find the sheep?" she asked.

"I found what might be more worth," said he.

"What was that?" asked Njal.

"I found twenty-four men up in the wood yonder; they had tethered their
horses, but slept themselves. Their shields they had hung up in the
boughs."

But so closely had he looked at them that he told of all their weapons
and war-gear and clothes, and then Njal knew plainly who each of them
must have been, and said to him--

"'Twere good hiring if there were many such shepherds; and this shall
ever stand to thy good; but still I will send thee on an errand."

He said at once he would go.

"Thou shalt go," says Njal, "to Lithend and tell Gunnar that he must
fare to Gritwater, and then s