song
Never will I catch, though surely
Wealthy warrior it hath sent;
Tender of the sea-horse snorting,
E'en though ill deeds are on foot,
Still to risk mine eyes are open;
Harmful 'tis to snap at flies.[53]

"And," says he, "I don't mean to be made a catspaw by him, but let him
take heed lest his tongue twists a noose for his own neck."

And after that the messenger fared back to Thorwald the scurvy and told
him Wolf's words. Thorwald had many men about him, and gave it out that
he would lie in wait for them on Bluewoodheath.

Now those two, Thangbrand and Gudleif, ride out of Hawkdale, and there
they came upon a man who rode to meet them. That man asked for Gudleif,
and when he found him he said--

"Thou shalt gain by being the brother of Thorgil of Reykiahole, for I
will let thee know that they have set many ambushes, and this too, that
Thorwald the scurvy is now with his band At Hestbeck on Grimsness."

"We shall not the less for all that ride to meet him," says Gudleif, and
then they turned down to Hestbeck. Thorwald was then come across the
brook, and Gudleif said to Thangbrand--

"Here is now Thorwald; let us rush on him now." Thangbrand shot a spear
through Thorwald, but Gudleif smote him on the shoulder and hewed his
arm off, and that was his death.

After that they ride up to the Thing, and it was a near thing that the
kinsmen of Thorwald had fallen on Thangbrand, but Njal and the
eastfirthers stood by Thangbrand.

Then Hjallti Skeggi's son sang this rhyme at the Hill of Laws--

Ever will I Gods blaspheme
Freyja methinks a dog does seem,
Freyja a dog? Aye! let them be
Both dogs together Odin and she.[54]

Hjallti fared abroad that summer and Gizur the white with him, but
Thangbrand's ship was wrecked away east at Bulandsness, and the ship's
name was "Bison".

Thangbrand and his messmate fared right through the west country, and
Steinvora, the mother of Ref the Skald, came against him; she preached
the heathen faith to Thangbrand and made him a long speech. Thangbrand
held his peace while she spoke, but made a long speech after her, and
turned all that she had said the wrong way against her.

"Hast thou heard," she said, "how Thor challenged Christ to single
combat, and how he did not dare to fight with Thor?"

"I have heard tell," says Thangbrand, "that Thor was naught but dust and
ashes, if God had not willed that he should live."

"Knowest thou," she says, "who it was