best to
be done now?"

"We will gallop up alongside them to the ford," says Gunnar, "and there
make ready for them."

The others saw that and turned at once towards them.

Gunnar strings his bow, and takes his arrows and throws them on the
ground before him, and shoots as soon as ever they come within shot; by
that Gunnar wounded many men, but some he slew.

Then Thorgeir Otkell's son spoke and said, "This is no use; let us make
for him as hard as we can".

They did so, and first went Aunund the fair, Thorgeir's kinsman. Gunnar
hurled the bill at him, and it fell on his shield and clove it in twain,
but the bill rushed through Aunund. Augmund Shockhead rushed at Gunnar
behind his back. Kolskegg saw that and cut off at once both Augmund's
legs from under him, and hurled him out into Rangriver, and he was
drowned there and then.

Then a hard battle arose; Gunnar cut with one hand and thrust with the
other. Kolskegg slew some men and wounded many.

Thorgeir's Starkad's son called out to his namesake, "It looks very
little as though thou hadst a father to avenge".

"True it is," he answers, "that I do not make much way, but yet thou
hast not followed in my footsteps; still I will not bear thy
reproaches."

With that he rushes at Gunnar in great wrath, and thrust his spear
through his shield, and so on through his arm.

Gunnar gave the shield such a sharp twist that the spearhead broke short
off at the socket. Gunnar sees that another man was come within reach of
his sword, and he smites at him and deals him his death-blow. After
that, he clutches his bill with both hands; just then Thorgeir Otkell's
son had come near him with a drawn sword, and Gunnar turns on him in
great wrath, and drives the bill through him, and lifts him up aloft,
and casts him out into Rangriver, and he drifts down towards the ford,
and stuck fast there on a stone; and the name of that ford has since
been Thorgeir's ford.

Then Thorgeir Starkad's son said, "Let us fly now; no victory will be
fated to us this time".

So they all turned and fled from the field.

"Let us follow them up now," says Kolskegg, "and take thou thy bow and
arrows, and thou wilt come within bow-shot of Thorgeir Starkad's son."

Then Gunnar sang a song.

Reaver of rich river-treasure,
Plundered will our purses be,
Though to-day we wound no other
Warriors wight in play of spears;
Aye, if I for all these sailors
Lowly lying, fines must pay--
Th