thee after all. No! I will rather stand by thee and keep them
off so long as it is fated.”
Then they had not long to wait ere horses with packsaddles were
driven by them over the moor, and with them went three men.
Then Kari said, “These men see us not.”
“Then let us suffer them to ride on,” said Bjorn.
So those three rode on past them; but the six others then came
riding right up to them, and they all leapt off their horses
straightway in a body, and turned on Kari and his companion.
First, Glum Hildir’s son rushed at them, and thrust at Kari with
a spear; Kari turned short round on his heel, and Glum missed
him, and the blow fell against the rock. Bjorn sees that and
hewed at once the head off Glum’s spear. Kari leant on one side
and smote at Glum with his sword, and the blow fell on his thigh,
and took off the limb high up in the thigh, and Glum died at
once.
Then Vebrand and Asbrand the sons of Thorbrand ran up to Kari,
but Kari flew at Vebrand and thrust his sword through him, but
afterwards he hewed off both of Asbrand’s feet from under him.
In this bout both Kari and Bjorn were wounded.
Then Kettle of the Mark rushed at Kari, and thrust at him with
his spear. Kari threw up his leg, and the spear stuck in the
ground, and Kari leapt on the spear-shaft, and snapped it in
sunder.
Then Kari grasped Kettle in his arms, and Bjorn ran up just then,
and wanted to slay him, but Kari said, “Be still now. I will
give Kettle peace; for though it may be that Kettle’s life is in
my power, still I will never slay him.”
Kettle answers never a word, but rode away after his companions,
and told those the tidings who did not know them already.
They told also these tidings to the men of the Hundred, and they
gathered together at once a great force of armed men, and went
straightway up all the water-courses, and so far up on the fell
that they were three days in the chase; but after that they
turned back to their own homes, but Kettle and his companions
rode east to Swinefell, and told the tidings these.
Flosi was little stirred at what had befallen them, but said, “No
one could tell whether things would stop there, for there is no
man like Kari of all that are now left in Iceland.”
151. OF KARI AND BJORN AND THORGEIR
Now we must tell of Bjorn and Kari that they ride down on the
Sand, and lead their horses under the banks where the wild oats
grew, and cut the oats for them, that they might not die of
hunger. Kari made such a near guess, that he rode away thence at
the very time that they gave over seeking for him. He rode by
night up through the Hundred, and after that he took to the fell;
and so on all the same way as they had followed when they rode
east, and did not stop till they came at Midmark.
Then Bjorn said to Kari, “Now shalt thou be my great friend
