ed quickly out of the
bower, seized the latch, slammed the door to, and put the bolt on.
Thorir and his fellows thought at first that the door must have got
locked of itself, and paid no heed thereto; they had light with them,
for Grettir had showed them many choice things which Thorfinn owned,
and these they now noted awhile. Meantime Grettir made all speed home
to the farm, and when he came in at the door he called out loudly, and
asked where the goodwife was; she held her peace, for she did not dare
to answer.

He said, "Here is somewhat of a chance of a good catch; but are there
any weapons of avail here?"

She answers, "Weapons there are, but how they may avail thee I know
not."

"Let us talk thereof anon," says he, "but now let every man do his
best, for later on no better chance shall there be."

The good wife said, "Now God were in garth if our lot might better:
over Thorfinn's bed hangs the barbed spear, the big one that was
owned by Karr the Old; there, too, is a helmet and a byrni, and the
short-sword, the good one; and the arms will not fail if thine heart
does well."

Grettir seizes the helmet and spear, girds himself with the
short-sword, and rushed out swiftly; and the mistress called upon the
house-carles, bidding them follow such a dauntless man, four of them
rushed forth and seized their weapons, but the other four durst come
nowhere nigh. Now it is to be said of the bearserks that they thought
Grettir delayed his coming back strangely; and now they began to doubt
if there were not some guile in the matter. They rushed against the
door and found it was locked, and now they try the timber walls so
that every beam creaked again; at last they brought things so far that
they broke down the shield-panelling, got into the passage, and thence
out to the steps. Now bearserks'-gang seized them, and they howled
like dogs. In that very nick of time Grettir came up and with both
hands thrust his spear at the midst of Thorir, as he was about to
get down the steps, so that it went through him at once. Now the
spear-head was both long and broad, and Ogmund the Evil ran on to
Thorir and pushed him on to Grettir's thrust, so that all went up to
the barb-ends; then the spear stood out through Thorir's back and into
Ogmund's breast, and they both tumbled dead off the spear; then of
the others each rushed down the steps as he came forth; Grettir set on
each one of them, and in turn hewed with the sword, or thrust w