burnt down; but the three gods were outside, stripped of all their
bravery.

Then Gudbrand began to speak, and said--

"Much might is given to our gods, when here they have walked of
themselves out of the fire!"

"The gods can have naught to do with it," says the Earl; "a man must
have burnt the shrine, and borne the gods out; but the gods do not
avenge everything on the spot. That man who has done this will no doubt
be driven away out of Valhalla, and never come in thither."

Just then up ran four of the Earl's men, and told them ill tidings; for
they said they had found three men slain in the field, and Thrand
wounded to the death.

"Who can have done this?" says the Earl.

"Killing-Hrapp," they say.

"Then he must have burnt down the shrine," says the Earl.

They said they thought he was like enough to have done it.

"And where may he be now?" says the Earl.

They said that Thrand had told them that he had laid down in a thicket.

The Earl goes thither to look for him, but Hrapp was off and away. Then
the Earl set his men to search for him, but still they could not find
him. So the Earl was in the hue and cry himself, but first he bade them
rest a while.

Then the Earl went aside by himself, away from other men, and bade that
no man should follow him, and so he stays a while. He fell down on both
his knees, and held his hands before his eyes; after that he went back
to them, and then he said to them, "Come with me".

So they went along with him. He turns short away from the path on which
they had walked before, and they came to a dell. There up sprang Hrapp
before them, and there it was that he had hidden himself at first.

The Earl urges on his men to run after him, but Hrapp was so
swift-footed that they never came near him. Hrapp made for Hlada. There
both Thrain and Njal's sons lay "boun" for sea at the same time. Hrapp
runs to where Njal's sons are.

"Help me, like good men and true," he said, "for the Earl will slay me."

Helgi looked at him and said--

"Thou lookest like an unlucky man, and the man who will not take thee in
will have the best of it."

"Would that the worst might befall you from me," says Hrapp.

"I am the man," says Helgi, "to avenge me on thee for this as time rolls
on."

Then Hrapp turned to Thrain Sigfus' son, and bade him shelter him.

"What hast thou on thy hand?" says Thrain.

"I have burnt a shrine under the Earl's eyes, and slain some men, and
now he will be