w
there are but two choices left, and neither of them good. One is to turn
away, and that is our death; the other, to set fire to the house, and
burn them inside it; and that is a deed which we shall have to answer
for heavily before God, since we are Christian men ourselves; but still
we must take to that counsel."

CHAPTER CXXVIII.

NJAL'S BURNING.

Now they took fire, and made a great pile before the doors. Then
Skarphedinn said.

"What, lads! are ye lighting a fire, or are ye taking to cooking?"

"So it shall be," answered Grani Gunnar's son; "and thou shalt not need
to be better done."

"Thou repayest me," said Skarphedinn, "as one may look for from the man
that thou art. I avenged thy father, and thou settest most store by that
duty which is farthest from thee."

Then the women threw whey on the fire, and quenched it as fast as they
lit it. Some, too, brought water, or slops.

Then Kol Thorstein's son said to Flosi--

"A plan comes into my mind; I have seen a loft over the hall among the
crosstrees, and we will put the fire in there, and light it with the
vetch-stack that stands just above the house."

Then they took the vetch-stack and set fire to it, and they who were
inside were not aware of it till the whole hall was ablaze over their
heads.

Then Flosi and his men made a great pile before each of the doors, and
then the women folk who were inside began to weep and to wail.

Njal spoke to them and said, "Keep up your hearts, nor utter shrieks,
for this is but a passing storm, and it will be long before ye have
another such; and put your faith in God, and believe that He is so
merciful that He will not let us burn both in this world and the next."

Such words of comfort had he for them all, and others still more strong.

Now the whole house began to blaze. Then Njal went to the door and
said--

"Is Flosi so near that he can hear my voice?"

Flosi said that he could hear it.

"Wilt thou," said Njal, "take an atonement from my sons, or allow any
men to go out?"

"I will not," answers Flosi, "take any atonement from thy sons, and now
our dealings shall come to an end once for all, and I will not stir from
this spot till they are all dead; but I will allow the women and
children and house-carles to go out."

Then Njal went into the house, and said to the folk--

"Now all those must go out to whom leave is given, and so go thou out
Thorhalla Asgrim's daughter, and all the people al