Then Thorgeir Otkell’s son spoke and said, “This is no use; let
us make for him as hard as we can.”
They did so, and first went Aunund the Fair, Thorgeir’s kinsman.
Gunnar hurled the bill at him, and it fell on his shield and
clove it in twain, but the bill rushed through Aunund. Augmund
Shockhead rushed at Gunnar behind his back. Kolskegg saw that
and cut off at once both Augmund’s legs from under him, and
hurled him out into Rangriver, and he was drowned there and then.
Then a hard battle arose; Gunnar cut with one hand and thrust
with the other. Kolskegg slew some men and wounded many.
Thorgeir Starkad’s son called out to his namesake, “It looks very
little as though thou hadst a father to avenge.”
“True it is,” he answers, “that I do not make much way, but yet
thou hast not followed in my footsteps; still I will not bear thy
reproaches.”
With that he rushes at Gunnar in great wrath, and thrust his
spear through his shield, and so on through his arm.
Gunnar gave the shield such a sharp twist that the spearhead
broke short off at the socket. Gunnar sees that another man was
come within reach of his sword, and he smites at him and deals
him his deathblow. After that, he clutches his bill with both
hands; just then, Thorgeir Otkell’s son had come near him with a
drawn sword, and Gunnar turns on him in great wrath, and drives
the bill through him, and lifts him up aloft, and casts him out
into Rangriver, and he drifts down towards the ford, and stuck
fast there on a stone; and the name of that ford has since been
Thorgeir’s ford.
Then Thorgeir Starkad’s son said, “Let us fly now; no victory
will be fated to us this time.”
So they all turned and fled from the field.
“Let us follow them up now,” says Kolskegg “and take thou thy bow
and arrows, and thou wilt come within bowshot of Thorgeir
Starkad’s son.”
Then Gunnar sang a song:
“Reaver of rich river-treasure,
Plundered will our purses be,
Though to-day we wound no other
Warriors wight in play of spears
Aye, if I for all these sailors
Lowly lying, fines must pay —
This is why I hold my hand,
Hearken, brother dear, to me.“_
“Our purses will be emptied,” says Gunnar, “by the time that
these are atoned for who now lie here dead.”
“Thou wilt never lack money,” says Kolskegg; “but Thorgeir will
never leave off before he compasses thy death.”
Gunnar sang another song:
“Lord of water-skates (1) that skim
Sea-king’s fields, more good as he,
