that much blood burst out on the bill.

Kolskegg asked what that might mean.

Gunnar says, "If such tokens took place in other lands, it was
called `wound-drops,' and Master Oliver told me also that this
only happened before great fights."

So they rode on till they saw men sitting by the river on the
other side, and they had tethered their horses.

Gunnar said, "Now we have an ambush."

Kolskegg answered, "Long have they been faithless; but what is
best to be done now?"

"We will gallop up alongside them to the ford," says Gunnar, "and
there make ready for them."

The others saw that and turned at once towards them.

Gunnar strings his bow, and takes his arrows and throws them on
the ground before him, and shoots as soon as ever they come
within shot; by that Gunnar wounded many men, but some he slew.

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 death-blow. 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 vict