im to pay him a
visit, "and I mean to go now this harvest."

"Let no men know before thou farest how long thou wilt be away,"
said Njal; "but, besides, I beg thee to let my sons ride with
thee, and then no attack will be made on thee."

So they settled that among themselves.

Now the summer wears away till it was eight weeks to winter, and
then Gunnar says to Kolskegg, "Make thee ready to ride, for we
shall ride to a feast at Tongue."

"Shall we say anything about it to Njal's sons?" said Kolskegg.

"No," says Gunnar; "they shall fall into no quarrels for me."

60. AN ATTACK AGAINST GUNNAR AGREED ON

They rode three together, Gunnar and his brothers. Gunnar had
the bill and his sword, Oliver's gift; but Kolskegg had his short
sword; Hjort, too, had proper weapons.

Now they rode to Tongue, and Asgrim gave them a hearty welcome,
and they were there some while. At last they gave it out that
they meant to go home there and then. Asgrim gave them good
gifts, and offered to ride east with them, but Gunnar said there
was no need of any such thing; and so he did not go.

Sigurd Swinehead was the name of a man who dwelt by Thurso water.
He came to the farm under the Threecorner, for he had given his
word to keep watch on Gunnar's doings, and so he went and told
them of his journey home; "and," quoth he, "there could never be
a finer chance than just now, when he has only two men with him."

"How many men shall we need to have to lie in wait for him?" says
Starkad.

"Weak men shall be as nothing before him," he says; "and it is
not safe to have fewer than thirty men."

"Where shall we lie in wait?"

"By Knafaholes," he says; "there he will not see us before he
comes on us."

"Go thou to Sandgil and tell Egil that fifteen of them must busk
themselves thence, and now other fifteen will go hence to
Knafaholes."

Thorgeir said to Hildigunna, "This hand shall show thee Gunnar
dead this very night."

"Nay, but I guess," says she, "that thou wilt hang thy head after
ye two meet."

So those four, father and sons, fare away from the Threecorner,
and eleven men besides, and they fared to Knafaholes, and lay in
wait there.

Sigurd Swinehead came to Sandgil and said, "Hither am I sent by
Starkad and his sons to tell thee, Egil, that ye, father and
sons, must fare to Knafaholes to lie in wait for Gunnar."

"How many shall we fare in all?" says Egil.

"Fifteen, reckoning me," he says.

Kol said, "Now I me