aving paid an atonement to them. I
know that ye two are now friends, but I ask this, what atonement thou
wilt pay to me?"

"None at all," says Lyting.

"I cannot see," says Amund, "how thou canst have right before God, when
thou hast stricken me so near the heart; but all I can say is, that if I
were blessed with the sight of both my eyes, I would have either a money
fine for my father, or revenge man for man; and so may God judge between
us."

After that he went out; but when he came to the door of the booth, he
turned short round towards the inside. Then his eyes were opened, and he
said--

"Praised be the Lord! now I see what His will is."

With that he ran straight into the booth until he comes before Lyting,
and smites him with an axe on the head, so that it sunk in up to the
hammer, and gives the axe a pull towards him.

Lyting fell forwards and was dead at once.

Amund goes out to the door of the booth, and when he got to the very
same spot on which he had stood when his eyes were opened, lo! they were
shut again, and he was blind all his life after.

Then he made them lead him to Njal and his sons, and he told them of
Lyting's slaying.

"Thou mayest not be blamed for this," says Njal, "for such things are
settled by a higher power; but it is worth while to take warning from
such events, lest we cut any short who have such near claims as Amund
had."

After that Njal offered an atonement to Lyting's kinsmen. Hauskuld the
Priest of Whiteness had a share in bringing Lyting's kinsmen to take the
fine, and then the matter was put to an award, and half the fines fell
away for the sake of the claim which he seemed to have on Lyting.

After that men came forward with pledges of peace and good faith, and
Lyting's kinsmen granted pledges to Amund. Men rode home from the Thing;
and now all is quiet for a long while.

CHAPTER CVI.

OF VALGARD THE GUILEFUL.

Valgard the guileful came back to Iceland that summer; he was then still
heathen. He fared to Hof to his son Mord's house, and was there the
winter over. He said to Mord--

"Here I have ridden far and wide all over the neighbourhood, and
methinks I do not know it for the same. I came to Whiteness, and there I
saw many tofts of booths and much ground levelled for building, I came
to Thingskala-Thing, and there I saw all our booths broken down. What is
the meaning of such strange things?"

"New priesthoods," answers Mord, "have been set up here