to take on thyself, thou must mean to take on thy hands eight
men, and after all that is less than it was when thou slewest
those seven in the sea-crags (2), and let thyself down by a rope
to get at them; but it is the way with all you kinsmen, that ye
always wish to be doing some famous feat, and now I can do no
less than stand by thee and have my share in the story. So now
we two alone will ride after them, for I see that thou hast so
made up thy mind.”
After that they rode east by the upper way, and did not pass by
Holt, for Thorgeir would not that any blame should be laid at his
brother’s door for what might be done.
Then they rode east to Myrdale, and there they met a man who had
turf-panniers on his horse. He began to speak thus, “Too few
men, messmate Thorgeir, hast thou now in thy company.”
“How is that?” says Thorgeir.
“Why,” said the other, “because the prey is now before thy hand.
The sons of Sigfus rode by a while ago, and mean to sleep the
whole day east in Carlinedale, for they mean to go no farther
to-night than to Headbrink.”
After that they rode on their way east on Arnstacks heath, and
there is nothing to be told of their journey before they came to
Carlinedale-water.
The stream was high, and now they rode up along the river, for
they saw there horses with saddles. They rode now thitherward,
and saw that there were men asleep in a dell and their spears
were standing upright in the ground a little below them. They
took the spears from them, and threw them into the river.
Then Thorgeir said, “Wilt thou that we wake them?”
“Thou hast not asked this,” answers Kari, “because thou hast not
already made up thy mind not to fall on sleeping men, and so to
slay a shameful manslaughter.”
After that they shouted to them, and then they all awoke and
grasped at their arms.
They did not fall on them till they were armed.
Thorgeir Craggeir runs thither where Thorkell Sigfus’ son stood,
and just then a man ran behind his back, but before he could do
Thorgeir any hurt, Thorgeir lifted the axe, “the ogress of war,”
with both hands, and dashed the hammer of the axe with a back-blow into the head of him that stood behind him, so that his
skull was shattered to small bits.
“Slain is this one,” said Thorgeir; and down the man fell at
once, and was dead.
But when he dashed the axe forward, he smote Thorkell on the
shoulder, and hewed it off, arm and all.
Against Kari came Mord Sigfus’ son, and Sigmund Sigfus’ son, and
Lambi Sigurd’s son; the last ran behind Kari’s back, and thrust
at him with a spear; Kari caught sight of him, and leapt up as
the blow fell, and stretched his legs far apart, and so the blow
spent itself on the ground, but Kari jumped down on the spear-shaft, and snapped it in sunder. He had a spear in one hand, and
