grim the Easterling went and began to climb up on the hall; Gunnar
sees that a red kirtle passed before the windowslit, and thrusts out the
bill, and smote him on the middle. Thorgrim's feet slipped from under
him, and he dropped his shield, and down he toppled from the roof.

Then he goes to Gizur and his band as they sat on the ground.

Gizur looked at him and said--

"Well, is Gunnar at home?"

"Find that out for yourselves," said Thorgrim; "but this I am sure of,
that his bill is at home," and with that he fell down dead.

Then they made for the buildings. Gunnar shot out arrows at them, and
made a stout defence, and they could get nothing done. Then some of them
got into the out-houses and tried to attack him thence, but Gunnar found
them out with his arrows there also, and still they could get nothing
done.

So it went on for while, then they took a rest, and made a second
onslaught. Gunnar still shot out at them, and they could do nothing, and
fell off the second time. Then Gizur the white said-

"Let us press on harder; nothing comes of our onslaught."

Then they made a third bout of it, and were long at it, and then they
fell off again.

Gunnar said, "There lies on arrow outside on the wall, and it is one of
their shafts; I will shoot at them with it, and it will be a shame to
them if they get a hurt from their own weapons".

His mother said, "Do not so, my son; nor rouse them again when they have
already fallen off from the attack".

But Gunnar caught up the arrow and shot it after them, and struck Eylif
Aunund's son, and he got a great wound; he was standing all by himself,
and they knew not that he was wounded.

"Out came an arm yonder," says Gizur, "and there was a gold ring on it,
and took an arrow from the roof and they would not look outside for
shafts if there were enough in doors; and now ye shall make a fresh
onslaught."

"Let us burn him house and all," said Mord.

"That shall never be," says Gizur, "though I knew that my life lay on
it; but it is easy for thee to find out some plan, such a cunning man as
thou art said to be."

Some ropes lay there on the ground, and they were often used to
strengthen the roof. Then Mord said--"Let us take the ropes and throw
one end over the end of the carrying beams, but let us fasten the other
end to these rocks and twist them tight with levers, and so pull the
roof off the hall."

So they took the ropes and all lent a hand to carry this out, a