what way shall I stand by you in this quarrel, which will be most to
your minds?"

"Nothing will please us," said Gunnar Lambi's son, "until those
brothers, Njal's sons, are all slain."

"This," said Flosi, "will I promise to you, ye sons of Sigfus, not to
part from this quarrel before one of us bites the dust before the other,
I will also know whether there be any man here who will not stand by us
in this quarrel."

But they all said they would stand by him.

Then Flosi said--

"Come now all to me, and swear an oath that no man will shrink from this
quarrel."

Then all went up to Flosi and swore oaths to him; and then Flosi said--

"We will all of us shake hands on this, that he shall have forfeited
life and land who quits this quarrel ere it be over."

These were the chiefs who were with Flosi:--Kol the son of Thorstein
broadpaunch, the brother's son of Hall of the Side, Hroald Auzur's son
from Broadwater, Auzur son of Anund wallet-back, Thorstein the fair the
son of Gerleif, Glum Hilldir's son, Modolf Kettle's son, Thorir the son
of Thord Illugi's son of Mauratongue, Kolbein and Egil Flosi's kinsmen,
Kettle Sigfus' son, and Mord his brother, Ingialld of the Springs,
Thorkel and Lambi, Grani Gunnar's son, Gunnar Lambi's son, and Sigmund
Sigfus' son, and Hroar from Hromundstede.

Then Flosi said to the sons of Sigfus--

"Choose ye now a leader, whomsoever ye think best fitted; for some one
man must needs be chief over the quarrel."

Then Kettle of the Mark answered--

"If the choice is to be left with us brothers, then we will soon choose
that this duty should fall on thee; there are many things which lead to
this. Thou art a man of great birth, and a mighty chief, stout of heart,
and strong of body, and wise withal, and so we think it best that thou
shouldst see to all that is needful in the quarrel."

"It is most fitting," said Flosi, "that I should agree to undertake this
as your prayer asks; and now I will lay down the course which we shall
follow, and my counsel is, that each man ride home from the Thing and
look after his household during the summer, so long as men's haymaking
lasts. I, too, will ride home, and be at home this summer; but when that
Lord's day comes on which winter is eight weeks off, then I will let
them sing me a mass at home, and afterwards ride west across Loomnips
Sand; each of our men shall have two horses. I will not swell our
company beyond those which have now taken the oa