briskest men," said the Earl, "and for that
they shall be slain."

"Because they were brisker men themselves," says Sweyn; "but still in
this it must be done as thou wiliest."

So they were bound and fettered.

After that the Earl fell asleep; but when all men slept, Grim spoke to
Helgi, and said, "Away would I get if I could".

"Let us try some trick then," says Helgi.

Grim sees that there lies an axe edge up, so Grim crawled thither, and
gets the bowstring which bound him cut asunder against the axe, but
still he got great wounds on his arms.

Then he set Helgi loose, and after that they crawled over the ship's
side, and got on shore, so that neither Hacon nor his men were ware of
them. Then they broke off their fetters and walked away to the other
side of the island. By that time it began to dawn. There they found a
ship, and knew that there was come Kari Solmund's son. They went at
once to meet him, and told him of their wrongs and hardships, and showed
him their wounds, and said the Earl would be then asleep.

"Ill is it," said Karl, "that ye should suffer such wrongs for wicked
men; but what now would be most to your minds?"

"To fall on the Earl," they say, "and slay him."

"This will not be fated," says Kari; "but still ye do not lack heart,
but we will first know whether he is there now."

After that they fared thither, and then the Earl was up and away.

Then Kari sailed in to Hlada to meet the Earl, and brought him the
Orkney scatts; so the Earl said--

"Hast thou taken Njal's sons into thy keeping?"

"So it is, sure enough," says Kari.

"Wilt thou hand Njal's sons over to me?" asks the Earl.

"No, I will not," said Kari.

"Wilt thou swear this," says the Earl, "that thou wilt not fall on me
with Njal's sons?"

Then Eric, the Earl's son, spoke and said--

"Such things ought not to be asked. Kari has always been our friend, and
things should not have gone as they have, had I been by. Njal's sons
should have been set free from all blame, but they should have had
chastisement who had wrought for it. Methinks now it would be more
seemly to give Njal's sons good gifts for the hardships and wrongs which
have been put upon them, and the wounds they have got."

"So it ought to be, sure enough," says the Earl, "but I know not whether
they will take an atonement."

Then the Earl said that Kari should try the feeling of Njal's sons as to
an atonement.

After that Kari spoke to Helgi, and ask