at home, and the next down in the isles, and so make an end of
their haymaking. At the same time, he let it be known that
every man would have to leave the house, save himself and the
women.
Thorgeir under Threecorner goes to see his namesake, but as soon
as they met they began to talk after their wont, and Thorgeir
Starkad’s son, said, “I would that we could harden our hearts
and fall on Gunnar.”
“Well,” says Thorgeir Otkell’s son, “every struggle with Gunnar
has had but one end, that few have gained the day; besides,
methinks it sounds ill to be called a peace-breaker.”
“They have broken the peace, not we,” says Thorgeir Starkad’s
son. “Gunnar took away from thee thy cornfield; and he has taken
Moeidsknoll from my father and me.”
And so they settle it between them to fall on Gunnar; and then
Thorgeir said that Gunnar would be all alone at home in a few
nights’ space, “and then thou shalt come to meet me with eleven
men, but I will have as many.”
After that Thorgeir rode home.
68. OF NJAL AND THOSE NAMESAKES
Now when Kolskegg and the housecarles had been three nights in
the isles, Thorgeir Starkad’s son had news of that, and sends
word to his namesake that he should come to meet him on
Threecorner ridge.
After that Thorgeir of the Threecorner busked him with eleven
men; he rides up on the ridge and there waits for his namesake.
And now Gunnar is at home in his house, and those namesakes ride
into a wood hard by. There such a drowsiness came over them that
they could do naught else but sleep. So they hung their shields
up in the boughs, and tethered their horses, and laid their
weapons by their sides.
Njal was that night up in Thorolfsfell, and could not sleep at
all, but went out and in by turns.
Thorhilda asked Njal why he could not sleep?
“Many things now flit before my eyes,” said he; “I see many
fetches of Gunnar’s bitter foes, and what is very strange is
this, they seem to be mad with rage, and yet they fare without
plan or purpose.”
A little after, a man rode up to the door and got off his horse’s
back and went in, and there was come the shepherd of Thorhilda
and her husband.
“Didst thou find the sheep?” she asked.
“I found what might be more worth,” said he.
“What was that?” asked Njal.
“I found twenty-four men up in the wood yonder; they had tethered
their horses, but slept themselves. Their shields they had hung
up in the boughs.”
But so closely had he looked at them that he told of all their
weapons and wargear and clothes, and then Njal knew plainly who
