ur booths wearied of begging," says Skarphedinn.

"In many places," said Asgrim, "hast thou been rather sharp-tongued, but
here now, in what Thorkel had a share methinks thou hast only treated
him as is fitting."

Then they went home to their booths, and told Njal, word for word, all
that had been done.

"Things," he said, "draw on to what must be."

Now Gudmund the powerful heard what had passed between Thorkel and
Skarphedinn, and said--

"Ye all know how things fared between us and the men of Lightwater, but
I have never suffered such scorn and mocking at their hands as has
befallen Thorkel from Skarphedinn, and this is just as it should be."

Then he said to Einar of Thvera, his brother, "Thou shalt go with all my
band, and stand by Njal's sons when the courts go out to try suits; but
if they need help next summer, then I myself will yield them help".

Einar agreed to that, and sent and told Asgrim, and Asgrim said--

"There is no man like Gudmund for nobleness of mind," and then he told
it to Njal.

CHAPTER CXX.

OF THE PLEADING OF THE SUIT.

The next day Asgrim, and Gizur the white, and Hjallti Skeggi's son, and
Einar of Thvera, met together. There too was Mord Valgard's son; he had
then let the suit fall from his hand, and given it over to the sons of
Sigfus.

Then Asgrim spoke.

"Thee first I speak to about this matter, Gizur the white, and thee
Hjallti, and thee Einar, that I may tell you how the suit stands. It
will be known to all of you that Mord took up the suit, but the truth of
the matter is, that Mord was at Hauskuld's slaying, and wounded him with
that wound, for giving which no man was named. It seems to me, then,
that this suit must come to nought by reason of a lawful flaw."

"Then we will plead it at once," says Hjallti.

"It is not good counsel," said Thorhall Asgrim's son, "that this should
not be hidden until the courts are set."

"How so?" asks Hjallti.

"If," said Thorhall, "they knew now at once that the suit has been
wrongly set on foot, then they may still save the suit by sending a man
home from the Thing, and summoning the neighbours from home over again,
and calling on them to ride to the Thing, and then the suit will be
lawfully set on foot."

"Thou art a wise man, Thorhall," say they, "and we will take thy
counsel."

After that each man went to his booth.

The sons of Sigfus gave notice of their suits at the Hill of Laws, and
asked in what Quarter Cour