al's
sons, and Kari; and at the same time I give you my word that ye shall
not fare away giftless."

They promised to go, and now he fares home and makes ready the feast. He
bade to it many householders, and that feast was very crowded.

Thither came Njal's sons and Kari. Mord gave Skarphedinn a brooch of
gold, and a silver belt to Kari, and good gifts to Grim and Helgi.

They come home and boast of these gifts, and show them to Njal. He said
they would be bought full dear, "and take heed that ye do not repay the
giver in the coin which he no doubt wishes to get".

CHAPTER CVIII.

OF THE SLANDER OF MORD VALGARD'S SON.

A little after Njal's sons and Hauskuld were to have their yearly
feasts, and they were the first to bid Hauskuld to come to them.

Skarphedinn had a brown horse four winters old, both tall and sightly.
He was a stallion, and had never yet been matched in fight. That horse
Skarphedinn gave to Hauskuld, and along with him two mares. They all
gave Hauskuld gifts, and assured him of their friendship.

After that Hauskuld bade them to his house at Ossaby, and had many
guests to meet them, and a great crowd.

It happened that he had just then taken down his hall, but he had built
three out-houses, and there the beds were made.

So all that were bidden came, and the feast went off very well. But
when men were to go home Hauskuld picked out good gifts for them, and
went a part of the way with Njal's sons.

The sons of Sigfus followed him and all the crowd, and both sides said
that nothing should ever come between them to spoil their friendship.

A little while after Mord came to Ossaby and called Hauskuld out to talk
with him, and they went aside and spoke.

"What a difference in manliness there is," said Mord, "between thee and
Njal's sons! Thou gavest them good gifts, but they gave thee gifts with
great mockery."

"How makest thou that out?" says Hauskuld.

"They gave thee a horse which they called a 'dark horse,' and that they
did out of mockery at thee, because they thought thee too untried, I can
tell thee also that they envy thee the priesthood, Skarphedinn took it
up as his own at the Thing when thou camest not to the Thing at the
summoning of the Fifth Court, and Skarphedinn never means to let it go."

"That is not true," says Hauskuld, "for I got it back at the Folkmote
last harvest."

"Then that was Njal's doing," says Mord. "They broke, too, the atonement
about Lyting."