o made up thy
mind."

After that they rode east by the upper way, and did not pass by Holt,
for Thorgeir would not that any blame should be laid at his brother's
door for what might be done.

Then they rode east to Myrdale, and there they met a man who had
turf-panniers on his horse. He began to speak thus--

"Too few men, messmate Thorgeir, hast thou now in thy company."

"How is that?" says Thorgeir.

"Why," said the other, "because the prey is now before thy hand. The
sons of Sigfus rode by a while ago, and mean to sleep the whole day east
in Carlinedale, for they mean to go no farther to-night than to
Headbrink."

After that they rode on their way east on Arnstacks heath, and there is
nothing to be told of their journey before they came to
Carlinedale-water.

The stream was high, and now they rode up along the river, for they saw
their horses with saddles. They rode now thitherward, and saw that there
were men asleep in a dell and their spears were standing upright in the
ground a little below them. They took the spears from them, and threw
them into the river.

Then Thorgeir said--

"Wilt thou that we wake them?"

"Thou hast not asked this," answers Kari, "because thou hast not already
made up thy mind not to fall on sleeping men, and so to slay a shameful
manslaughter."

After that they shouted to them, and then they all awoke and grasped at
their arms.

They did not fall on them till they were armed.

Thorgeir Craggeir runs thither where Thorkel Sigfus' son stood, and just
then a man ran behind his back, but before he could do Thorgeir any
hurt, Thorgeir lifted the axe, "the ogress of war," with both hands, and
dashed the hammer of the axe with a back-blow into the head of him that
stood behind him, so that his skull was shattered to small bits.

"Slain is this one," said Thorgeir; and down the man fell at once, and
was dead.

But when he dashed the axe forward, he smote Thorkel on the shoulder,
and hewed it off, arm and all.

Against Kari came Mord Sigfus' son, and Sigmund Sigfus' son, and Lambi
Sigurd's son; the last ran behind Kari's back, and thrust at him with a
spear; Kari caught sight of him, and leapt up as the blow fell, and
stretched his legs far apart, and so the blow spent itself on the
ground, but Kari jumped down on the spear-shaft, and snapped it in
sunder. He had a spear in one hand, and a sword in the other, but no
shield. He thrust with the right hand at Sigmund Sigfus' so