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Page 16
"My sack," he said.
"Who says so besides yourself?" Grettir asked. "Let me see it!
Many a thing is like another."
Skeggi said no one should take from him what was his own.
Grettir seized hold of the sack and they both pulled at it for a
time, each trying to get his own way.
"You Midfjord men have strange notions," said Skeggi, "if you
think that because a man is not so wealthy as you are, he is not
to dare to hold to his own before you."
Grettir said it had nothing to do with a man's degree, and that
each should have that which was his own.
Skeggi replied: "Audun is now too far away to strangle you as he
did at the ball-play."
"That is well," said Grettir; "but however that may have been you
shall not strangle me."
Skeggi then seized his axe and struck at Grettir, who on seeing
it seized the handle of the axe with his left hand and pulled it
forward with such force that Skeggi at once let go. The next
moment it stood in his brain and he fell dead to the earth.
Grettir took the sack, threw it across his saddle and rode back
to his companions.
Thorkell rode on, knowing nothing of what had happened. Soon
Skeggi was missed in the company, and when Grettir came up they
asked him what news he had of Skeggi. He answered in a verse:
"Hammer-troll ogress has done him to death.
Thirsting for blood the war-fiend came.
With hard-edged blade she gaped, o'er his head,
nor spared she his teeth. I saw it myself."
Then Thorkell's men sprang up and said it was impossible that a
troll should have taken the man in full daylight. Thorkell was
silent for a moment. Then he said: "There must be something
more in it. Grettir must have killed him. What was it that
really happened, Grettir?"
Grettir then told him all about their fight. Thorkell said: "It
is a most unfortunate occurrence, because Skeggi was entrusted to
my service, and was a man of good family. I will take the matter
upon myself and pay whatever compensation is adjudged. But a
question of banishment does not lie with me. Now, Grettir, there
are two things for you to choose between. Either you can go on
to the Thing with us and take the chance of what may happen
there, or you can turn back and go home."
Grettir decided to go on to the Thing, and to the Thing he went.
The matter was taken up by the heirs of the man slain. Thorkell
gave his hand to pay the compensation and Grettir was to be
banished for three years.
On their way back from the Thing all the chiefs halted at
Sledaass before they parted company. It was then that Grettir
lifted a stone lying in the grass, which is still known as
Grettishaf. Many went afterwards to see this stone and were
astounded that so young a man should have lifted such a mountain.
Grettir rode home to Bjarg and told his father about his
adventures. Asmund was much put out and said he would be a
trouble to everybody.
CHAPTER XVII
GRETTIR SAILS FOR NORWAY AND IS WRECKED ON HARAMARSEY
There dwelt at Reydarfell on the banks of the Hvita a man named
Haflidi, a mariner, owning a ship of his own which was lying in
dock in the Hvita river. He had as his mate a man named Bard who
had a young and pretty wife. Asmund sent a man to Haflidi asking
him to take Grettir and look after him. Haflidi answered that he
had heard that Grettir was very difficult to get on with, but out
of friendship for Asmund he took him. Grettir, therefore,
prepared to go to sea. His father would not give him any outfit
for his voyage beyond his bare provisions and a little wadmal.
Grettir asked him to give him some sort of weapon. Asmund
answered: "You have never been obedient to me. Nor do I know
what you would do with a weapon that would be of any profit. I
shall not give you any."
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