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Page 25
Grettir then travelled to Vagar, which was crowded with people.
Many whom he had never set eyes on before greeted him warmly
because of his exploit in killing the vikings, and several of the
leading men invited him to stay with them, but he preferred to
return to his friend Thorfinn. So he took his passage in a
trading ship belonging to one Thorkell, a man of some
consideration in Salfti in Halogaland. Grettir went to visit
Thorkell in his home, where he received a hearty welcome and a
very pressing invitation to stay there for the winter. Grettir
accepted the invitation and stayed the winter with Thorkell, who
treated him with great honour.
CHAPTER XXI
ADVENTURE WITH A BEAR
There was a man named Bjorn who was then on a visit to Thorkell.
He was of a somewhat violent character of good family and related
in some way to Thorkell. He was not generally liked, because he
was too much given to talking against the men who were about
Thorkell and drove many away from him. He and Grettir did not
get on at all. Bjorn thought him of small account compared to
himself; Grettir paid him little deference, and it became an open
feud. Bjorn was a boisterous swaggering man, and many of the
younger men imitated him, loitering about outside in the
evenings.
It happened at the beginning of the winter that a savage brown
bear broke out of its den and raged about destroying men and
cattle. Every one declared that it had been provoked by the
noise which Bjorn and his company made. The beast became most
mischievous, attacking the flocks in the very face of the men
themselves. Thorkell, being the wealthiest man of that part,
suffered most. One day he called up his men to come with him and
search out the bear's den. They found it in a cliff by the sea
where there was a cave under an overhanging rock, with a narrow
path leading to the entrance. Below was a sheer precipice down
to the beach, threatening certain death to any one who stumbled.
In this den the bear lay in the daytime, going abroad at night.
Fences were of no avail against him, nor could the dogs do
anything, so that all were in the utmost distress. Thorkell's
kinsman Bjorn declared that the main thing was gained now that
they had found the den. "Now we shall see," he said, "how the
game will go with me and my namesake." Grettir pretended not to
hear what he said.
In the evenings when the others retired to bed, Bjorn used
generally to go out. One night he went to the bear's den and
found the creature inside, growling horribly. He lay down in the
path, placing his shield over him, intending to wait until the
beast came out as usual. Bruin, however, got wind of him and was
rather slow in coming out. Bjorn got very sleepy where he was
lying and could not keep awake; in the meantime out came the bear
from his den and saw a man lying there. He clawed at him,
dragged off his shield and threw it down the cliff. Bjorn woke
up, not a little startled, took to his heels and ran off home,
narrowly escaping the bear's clutches. His friends knew all
about it, having watched his movements; on the next morning they
found the shield and made great game of his adventure.
At Yule-time Thorkell himself went out to the den with Bjorn,
Grettir and others of his men, a party of eight in all. Grettir
had on a fur cape which he put off when they were attacking the
bear. It was rather difficult to get at him, since they could
only reach him with spear-thrusts, which he parried with his
teeth. Bjorn kept urging them on to tackle him, but himself did
not go near enough to be in any danger. At last, when no one was
looking out, he took Grettir's fur cloak and threw it in to the
bear. They did not succeed in getting the bear out, and when
night came on turned to go home. Grettir then missed his cloak
and saw that the bear had got it into his grip.
"Who has been playing tricks on me?" he cried. "Who threw my
cloak into the cave?"
Bjorn answered: "He who did it will not be afraid to say so."
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