end after men; but I will go to meet with
those who are in the wood and scare them away. This thing hath well come
to pass, so that they shall gain nothing by this journey, but lose
much."

The shepherd set off and told Gunnar as plainly as he could the whole
story. Then Gunnar rode to Gritwater and summoned men to him.

Now it is to be told of Njal how he rides to meet these namesakes.

"Unwarily ye lie here," he says, "or for what end shall this journey
have been made? And Gunnar is not a man to be trifled with. But if the
truth must be told then, this is the greatest treason. Ye shall also
know this, that Gunnar is gathering force, and he will come here in the
twinkling of an eye, and slay you all, unless ye ride away home."

They bestirred them at once, for they were in great fear, and took their
weapons, and mounted their horses and galloped home under the
Threecorner.

Njal fared to meet Gunnar and bade him not to break up his company.

"But I will go and seek for an atonement; now they will be finely
frightened; but for this treason no less a sum shall be paid when one
has to deal with all of them, than shall be paid for the slaying of one
or other of those namesakes, though such a thing should come to pass.
This money I will take into my keeping, and so lay it out that it may be
ready to thy hand when thou hast need of it."

CHAPTER LXIX.

OLAF THE PEACOCK'S GIFTS TO GUNNAR.

Gunnar thanked Njal for his aid, and Njal rode away under the
Threecorner, and told those namesakes that Gunnar would not break up his
band of men before he had fought it out with them.

They began to offer terms for themselves, and were full of dread, and
bade Njal to come between them with an offer of atonement.

Njal said that could only be if there were no guile behind. Then they
begged him to have a share in the award, and said they would hold to
what he awarded.

Njal said he would make no award unless it were at the Thing, and unless
the best men were by; and they agreed to that.

Then Njal came between them, so that they gave each other pledges of
peace and atonement.

Njal was to utter the award, and to name as his fellows those whom he
chose.

A little while after those namesakes met Mord Valgard's son, and Mord
blamed them much for having laid the matter in Njal's hands, when he was
Gunnar's great friend. He said that would turn out ill for them.

Now men ride to the Althing after their wont, and now b