canst."

"Nay," says Bjorn, "I will not do that, and there are many things
against it; first of all, may be, if I ride away, some spiteful tongues
might begin to say that I ran away from thee for faintheartedness; and
another thing is, that I well know what game they will think there is in
me, and so they will ride after me, two or three of them, and then I
should be of no use or help to thee after all. No! I will rather stand
by thee and keep them off so long as it is fated."

Then they had not long to wait ere horses with pack-saddles were driven
by them over the moor, and with them went three men.

Then Kari said--

"These men see us not."

"Then let us suffer them to ride on," said Bjorn.

So those three rode on past them; but the six others then came riding
right up to them, and they all leapt off their horses straightway in a
body, and turned on Kari and his companion.

First, Glum Hilldir's son rushed at them, and thrust at Kari with a
spear; Kari turned short round on his heel, and Glum missed him, and the
blow fell against the rock. Bjorn sees that, and hewed at once the head
off Glum's spear. Kari leant on one side and smote at Glum with his
sword, and the blow fell on his thigh, and took off the limb high up in
the thigh, and Glum died at once.

Then Vebrand and Asbrand the sons of Thorbrand ran up to Kari, but Kari
flew at Vebrand and thrust his sword through him, but afterwards he
hewed off both of Asbrand's feet from under him.

In this bout both Kari and Bjorn were wounded.

Then Kettle of the Mark rushed at Kari, and thrust at him with his
spear. Kari threw up his leg, and the spear stuck in the ground, and
Kari leapt on the spear-shaft, and snapped it in sunder.

Then Kari grasped Kettle in his arms, and Bjorn ran up just then, and
wanted to slay him, but Kari said--

"Be still now. I will give Kettle peace; for though it may be that
Kettle's life is in my power, still I will never slay him."

Kettle answers never a word, but rode away after his companions, and
told those the tidings who did not know them already.

They told also these tidings to the men of the Hundred, and they
gathered together at once a great force of armed men, and went
straightway up all the water-courses, and so far up on the fell that
they were three days in the chase; but after that they turned back to
their own homes, but Kettle and his companions rode east to Swinefell,
and told the tidings there.

Flosi was