d
to stand just before him; and Raven had to draw out of his way. Then
Gunnlaug said,--

"No need to slink aback, Raven, for I threaten thee nought as at this
time; but thou knowest forsooth, what thou hast earned.".

Raven answered and sang,--

"God of wound-flamed glitter,
Glorier of fight-goddess,
Must we fall a-fighting
For fairest kirtle-bearer?
Death-staffs many such-like
Fair as she is are there
In south-lands o'er the sea floods.
Sooth saith he who knoweth."

"Maybe there are many such, but they do not seem so to me," said
Gunnlaug.

Therewith Illugi and Thorstein ran up to them, and would not have them
fight.

Then Gunnlaug sang,--

"The fair-hued golden goddess
For gold to Raven sold they,
(Raven my match as men say)
While the mighty isle-king,
Ethelred, in England
From eastward way delayed me,
Wherefore to gold-waster
Waneth tongue's speech-hunger."

Hereafter both rode home, and all was quiet and tidingless that winter
through; but Raven had nought of Helga's fellowship after her meeting
with Gunnlaug.

CHAPTER XIV. Of the Holmgang at the Althing.

Now in summer men ride a very many to the Althing: Illugi the Blacky and
his sons with him, Gunnlaug and Hermund; Thorstein Egilson and
Kolsvein his son; Onund, of Mossfell, and his sons all, and Sverting,
Hafr-Biorn's son. Skapti yet held the spokesmanship-at-law.

One day at the Thing, as men went thronging to the Hill of Laws, and
when the matters of the law were done there, then Gunnlaug craved
silence, and said:--

"Is Raven, the son of Onund, here?"

He said he was.

Then spake Gunnlaug, "Thou well knowest that thou hast got to wife my
avowed bride, and thus hast thou made thyself my foe. Now for this I bid
thee to holm here at the Thing, in the holm of the Axe-water, when three
nights are gone by."

Raven answers, "This is well bidden, as was to be looked for of thee,
and for this I am ready, whenever thou wiliest it."

Now the kin of each deemed this a very ill thing. But, at that time it
was lawful for him who thought himself wronged by another to call him to
fight on the holm.

So when three nights had gone by they got ready for the holmgang, and
Illugi the Black followed his son thither with a great following. But
Skapti, the lawman, followed Raven, and hi