her shall we go now?" said Gizur.

"To the Northlanders' booth," said Asgrim.

Then they fared thither.

CHAPTER CXXXIX.

OF ASGRIM AND GUDMUND.

And when they came into the booth then they saw where Gudmund the
powerful sate and talked with Einer Conal's son, his foster-child; he
was a wise man.

Then they come before him, and Gudmund welcomed them very heartily, and
made them clear the booth for them, that they might all be able to sit
down.

Then they asked what tidings, and Asgrim said--

"There is no need to mutter what I have to say. We wish, Gudmund, to ask
for thy steadfast help."

"Have ye seen any other chiefs before?" said Gudmund.

They said they had been to see Skapti Thorod's son and Snorri the
priest, and told him quietly how they had fared with each of them.

Then Gudmund said--

"Last time I behaved badly and meanly to you. Then I was stubborn, but
now ye shall drive your bargain with me all the more quickly because I
was more stubborn then, and now I will go myself with you to the court
with all my Thingmen, and stand by you in all such things as I can, and
fight for you though this be needed, and lay down my life for your
lives. I will also pay Skapti out in this way, that Thorstein gapemouth
his son shall be in the battle on our side, for he will not dare to do
aught else than I will, since he has Jodisa my daughter to wife, and
then Skapti will try to part us."

They thanked him, and talked with him long and low afterwards, so that
no other men could hear.

Then Gudmund bade them not to go before the knees of any other chiefs,
for he said that would be little-hearted.

"We will now run the risk with the force that we have. Ye must go with
your weapons to all law-business, but not fight as things stand."

Then they went all of them home to their booths, and all this was at
first with few men's knowledge.

So now the Thing goes on.

CHAPTER CXL.

OF THE DECLARATIONS OF THE SUITS.

It was one day that men went to the Hill of Laws, and the chiefs were so
placed that Asgrim Ellidagrim's son, and Gizur the white, and Gudmund
the powerful, and Snorri the priest, were on the upper hand by the Hill
of Laws; but the Eastfirthers stood down below.

Mord Valgard's son stood next to Gizur his father-in-law; he was of all
men the readiest-tongued.

Gizur told him that he ought to give notice of the suit for
manslaughter, and bade him speak up, so that all might hear h