of the land.”
“Then that will happen,” says Njal, “which will be worse for all
of us.”
Those men who had given the money spoke about it, and said that
they should take it back; but Gudmund the Powerful said, “That
shame I will never choose for myself, to take back what I have
given away, either here or elsewhere.”
“That is well spoken,” they said; and then no one would take it
back.
Then Snorri the Priest said, “My counsel is, that Gizur the White
and Hjallti Skeggi’s son keep the money till the next Althing; my
heart tells me that no long time will pass ere there may be need
to touch this money.”
Hjallti took half the money and kept it safe, but Gizur took the
rest.
Then men went home to their booths.
123. AN ATTACK PLANNED ON NJAL AND HIS SONS
Flosi summoned all his men up to the “Great Rift,” and went
thither himself.
So when all his men were come, there were one hundred and twenty
of them.
Then Flosi spake thus to the sons of Sigfus, “In what way shall
I stand by you in this quarrel, which will be most to your
minds?”
“Nothing will please us,” said Gunnar Lambi’s son, “until those
brothers, Njal’s sons, are all slain.”
“This,” said Flosi, “will I promise to you, ye sons of Sigfus,
not to part from this quarrel before one of us bites the dust
before the other. I will also know whether there be any man here
who will not stand by us in this quarrel.”
But they all said they would stand by him.
Then Flosi said, “Come now all to me, and swear an oath that no
man will shrink from this quarrel.”
Then all went up to Flosi and swore oaths to him; and then Flosi
said, “We will all of us shake hands on this, that he shall have
forfeited life and land who quits this quarrel ere it be over.”
These were the chiefs who were with Flosi: — Kol the son of
Thorstein Broadpaunch, the brother’s son of Hall of the Side,
Hroald Auzur’s son from Broadwater, Auzur son of Aunund Wallet-back, Thorstein the Fair, the son of Gerleif, Glum Hildir’s son,
Modolf Kettle’s son, Thorir the son of Thord Illugi’s son of
Mauratongue, Kolbein and Egil Flosi’s kinsmen, Kettle Sigfus’
son, and Mord his brother, Ingialld of the Springs, Thorkel and
Lambi, Grani Gunnar’s son, Gunnar Lambi’s son, and Sigmund
Sigfus’ son, and Hroar from Hromundstede.
Then Flosi said to the sons of Sigfus, “Choose ye now a leader,
whomsoever ye think best fitted; for some one man must needs be
chief over the quarrel”
Then Kettle of the Mark answered, “If the choice is to be left
with us brothers, then we will soon choose that this duty should
