son. Now, my
will is that we ride to meet him this evening, and slay him."

"No," says Grani, "I will not fall on Njal's son, and so break the
atonement which good men and true have made."

With like words spoke each man of them, and so, too, spoke all the sons
of Sigfus; and they took that counsel to ride away.

Then Lyting said, when they had gone away--

"All men know that I have taken no atonement for my brother-in-law
Thrain, and I shall never be content that no vengeance--man for
man--shall be taken for him."

After that he called on his two brothers to go with him, and three
house-carles as well. They went on the way to meet Hauskuld [Njal's son]
as he came back, and lay in wait for him north of the farmyard in a
pit; and there they bided till it was about mid-even [six o'clock
P.M.]. Then Hauskuld rode up to them. They jump up all of them
with their arms, and fall on him. Hauskuld guarded himself well, so that
for a long while they could not get the better of him; but the end of it
was at last that he wounded Lyting on the arm, and slew two of his
serving-men, and then fell himself. They gave Hauskuld sixteen wounds,
but they hewed not off the head from his body. They fared away into the
wood east of Rangriver, and hid themselves there.

That same evening, Rodny's shepherd found Hauskuld dead, and went home
and told Rodny of her son's slaying.

"Was he surely dead?" she asks; "was his head off?"

"It was not," he says.

"I shall know if I see," she says; "so take thou my horse and driving
gear."

He did so, and got all things ready, and then they went thither where
Hauskuld lay.

She looked at the wounds, and said--

"'Tis even as I thought, that he could not be quite dead, and Njal no
doubt can cure greater wounds."

After that they took the body and laid it on the sledge and drove to
Bergthorsknoll, and drew it into the sheepcote, and made him sit upright
against the wall.

Then they went both of them and knocked at the door, and a house-carle
went to the door. She steals in by him at once, and goes till she comes
to Njal's bed.

She asked whether Njal were awake? He said he had slept up to that time,
but was then awake.

"But why art thou come hither so early?"

"Rise thou up," said Rodny, "from thy bed by my rival's side, and come
out, and she too, and thy sons, to see thy son Hauskuld."

They rose and went out.

"Let us take our weapons," said Skarphedinn, "and have them with us."