“This is just right,” said Bjarni, “here now is the man I spoke
of, Eyjolf Bolverk’s son, if thou wilt see him, Flosi.”
Then they went to meet Eyjolf, and hailed him. Eyjolf knew
Bjarni at once, and greeted him well. Bjarni took Eyjolf by the
hand, and led him up into the “Great Rift.” Flosi’s and Bjarni’s
men followed after, and Eyjolf’s men went also with him. They
bade them stay upon the lower brink of the Rift, and look about
them, but Flosi, and Bjarni, and Eyjolf went on till they came to
where the path leads down from the upper brink of the Rift.
Flosi said it was a good spot to sit down there, for they could
see around them far and wide. Then they sat them down there.
They were four of them together, and no more.
Then Bjarni spoke to Eyjolf, and said “Thee, friend, have we come
to see, for we much need thy help in every way.”
“Now,” said Eyjolf, “there is good choice of men here at the
Thing, and ye will not find it hard to fall on those who will be
a much greater strength to you than I can be.”
“Not so,” said Bjarni, “thou hast many things which show that
there is no greater man than thou at the Thing; first of all,
that thou art so well-born, as all those men are who are sprung
from Ragnar Hairybreeks; thy forefathers, too, have always stood
first in great suits, both here at the Thing and at home in their
own country, and they have always had the best of it; we think,
therefore, it is likely that thou wilt be lucky in winning suits,
like thy kinsfolk.”
“Thou speakest well, Bjarni,” said Evjolf; “but I think that I
have small share in all this that thou savest.”
Then Flosi said, “There is no need beating about the bush as to
what we have in mind. We wish to ask for thy help, Eyjolf, and
that thou wilt stand by us in our suits, and go to the court with
us, and undertake the defence, if there be any, and plead it for
us, and stand by us in all things that may happen at this Thing.”
Eyjolf jumped up in wrath, and said that no man had any right to
think that he could make a catspaw of him, or drag him on if he
had no mind to go himself.
“I see, too, now,” he says, “what has led you to utter all those
fair words with which ye began to speak to me.”
Then Hallbjorn the Strong caught hold of him and sate him down by
his side, between him and Bjarni, and said, “No tree falls at the
first stroke, friend, but sit here awhile by us.” Then Flosi
drew a gold ring off his arm.
“This ring will I give thee, Eyjolf, for thy help and friendship,
and so show thee that I will not befool thee. It will be best
for thee to take the ring, for there is no man here at the Thing
to whom I have ever given such a gift.”
The ring was such a good one, and so well made, that it was worth
twelve hundred yards of russet stuff.
Hallbjorn drew the ring on Eyjolf’s arm; and Eyjolf said, “It is
now most fitting that I should take the ring, since thou behavest
so handsomely; and now thou mayest make up thy mind that I will
