After that they had no more mistrust.

Kari ran till he came to a stream, and then he threw himself down

into it, and so quenched the fire on him.

After that he ran along under shelter of the smoke into a hollow,

and rested him there, and that has since been called Kari’s

Hollow.

129. SKARPHEDINN’S DEATH

Now it is to be told of Skarphedinn that he runs out on the

crossbeam straight after Kari, but when he came to where the

beam was most burnt, then it broke down under him. Skarphedinn

came down on his feet, and tried again the second time, and

climbs up the wall with a run, then down on him came the wall-plate, and he toppled down again inside.

Then Skarphedinn said, “Now one can see what will come;” and then

he went along the side wall. Gunnar Lambi’s son leapt up on the

wall and sees Skarphedinn, he spoke thus, “Weepest thou now,

Skarphedinn?”

“Not so,” says Skarphedinn; “but true it is that the smoke makes

one’s eyes smart, but is it as it seems to me, dost thou laugh?”

“So it is surely,” says Gunnar, “and I have never laughed since

thou slewest Thrain on Markfleet.”

Then Skarphedinn said, “Here now is a keepsake for thee;” and

with that he took out of his purse the jaw-tooth which he had

hewn out of Thrain, and threw it at Gunnar, and struck him in the

eye, so that it started out and lay on his cheek.

Then Gunnar fell down from the roof.

Skarphedinn then went to his brother Grim, and they held one

another by the hand and trode the fire; but when they came to the

middle of the hall Grim fell down dead.

Then Skarphedinn went to the end of the house, and then there was

a great crash, and down fell the roof. Skarphedinn was then shut

in between it and the gable, and so he could not stir a step

thence.

Flosi and his band stayed by the fire until it was broad

daylight; then came a man riding up to them. Flosi asked him for

his name, but he said his name was Geirmund, and that he was a

kinsman of the sons of Sigfus.

“Ye have done a mighty deed,” he says.

“Men,” said Flosi, “will call it both a mighty deed and an ill

deed, but that can’t be helped now.”

“How many men have lost their lives here?” asks Geirmund.

“Here have died,” says Flosi, “Njal and Bergthora and all their

sons, Thord Kari’s son, Kari Solmund’s son, but besides these we

cannot say for a surety, because we know not their names.”

“Thou tellest him now dead,” said Geirmund, “with whom we have

gossiped this morning.”

“Who is that?” says Flosi.

“We two,” says Geirmund, “I and my neighbour Bard, met Kari

Solmund’s son, and Bard gave him his horse, and his hair and his

upper clothes were burned off him!”

“Had he any weapons?” asks Flosi.

Вы читаете Njal's Saga
Добавить отзыв
ВСЕ ОТЗЫВЫ О КНИГЕ В ИЗБРАННОЕ

0

Вы можете отметить интересные вам фрагменты текста, которые будут доступны по уникальной ссылке в адресной строке браузера.

Отметить Добавить цитату