Thorkell went up to the homestead, and the tyke lay on the top of
the house, and he entices the dog away with him into a deep
hollow in the path. Just then the hound sees that there are men
before them, and he leaps on Thorkell and tears his belly open.
Aunund of Witchwood smote the hound on the head with his axe, so
that the blade sunk into the brain. The hound gave such a great
howl that they thought it passing strange, and he fell down dead.
76. GUNNAR’S SLAYING
Gunnar woke up in his hall and said, “Thou hast been sorely
treated, Sam, my fosterling, and this warning is so meant that
our two deaths will not be far apart.”
Gunnar’s hall was made all of wood, and roofed with beams above,
and there were windowslits under the beams that carried the
roof, and they were fitted with shutters.
Gunnar slept in a loft above the hall, and so did Hallgerda and
his mother.
Now when they were come near to the house they knew not whether
Gunnar were at home, and bade that some one would go straight up
to the house and see if he could find out. But the rest sat them
down on the ground.
Thorgrim the Easterling went and began to climb up on the hall;
Gunnar sees that a red kirtle passed before the windowslit, and
thrusts out the bill, and smote him on the middle. Thorgrim’s
feet slipped from under him, and he dropped his shield, and down
he toppled from the roof.
Then he goes to Gizur and his band as they sat on the ground.
Gizur looked at him and said, “Well, is Gunnar at home?
“Find that out for yourselves,” said Thorgrim; “but this I am
sure of, that his bill is at home,” and with that he fell down
dead.
Then they made for the buildings. Gunnar shot out arrows at
them, and made a stout defence, and they could get nothing done.
Then some of them got into the out houses and tried to attack him
thence, but Gunnar found them out with his arrows there also, and
still they could get nothing done.
So it went on for a while, then they took a rest, and made a
second onslaught. Gunnar still shot out at them, and they could
do nothing, and fell off the second time. Then Gizur the White
said, “Let us press on harder; nothing comes of our onslaught.”
Then they made a third bout of it, and were long at it, and then
they fell off again.
Gunnar said, “There lies an arrow outside on the wall, and it is
one of their shafts; I will shoot at them with it, and it will be
a shame to them if they get a hurt from their own weapons.”
His mother said, “Do not so, my son; nor rouse them again when
they have already fallen off from the attack.”
But Gunnar caught up the arrow and shot it after them, and struck
Eylif Aunund’s son, and he got a great wound; he was standing all
by himself, and they knew not that he was wounded.
