,
When to earth was Makson laid,
Well the sword-shower wrought he there,
Flesh the ravens got to tear;
Then when Skuf and Biarni fell,
He was there the tale to tell;
Sea-steed's rider took his way
Through the thickest of the fray."

Thorgils settled the peace for the slaying of Skuf and Biarni then
and there in the Dale, and delayed no longer than his will was before;
Thorgeir went to ship, but Thorgils to the Althing, and came not
thither until men were going to the courts.

Then Asmund the Greyhaired challenged the defence for the blood-suit
on the slaying of Thorgils Makson. Thorgils went to the court and
offered weregild for the slaying, if thereby Thorgeir might become
free of guilt; he put forth for defence in the suit whether they had
not free catch on all common foreshores. The lawman was asked if this
was a lawful defence. Skapti was the lawman, and backed Asmund for the
sake of their kinship. He said this was law if they were equal men,
but said that bonders had a right to take before batchelors. Asmund
said that Thorgils had offered an even sharing to the foster-brothers
in so much of the whale as was uncut when they came thereto; and
therewith that way of defence was closed against them. Now Thorstein
and his kin followed up the suit with much eagerness, and nought was
good to them but that Thorgeir should be made guilty.

Thorgils saw that one of two things was to be done, either to set on
with many men, not knowing what might be gained thereby, or to suffer
them to go on as they would; and, whereas Thorgeir had been got on
board ship, Thorgils let the suit go on unheeded.

Thorgeir was outlawed, but for Thormod was taken weregild, and he to
be quit. By this blood-suit Thorstein and Asmund were deemed to have
waxed much. And now men ride home from the Thing.

Some men would hold talk that Thorgils had lightly backed the case,
but he heeded their talk little, and let any one say thereon what he
would.

But when Thorgeir heard of this outlawry, he said--

"Fain am I that those who have made me an outlaw should have full pay
for this, ere all be over."

There was a man called Gaut Sleitason, who was akin to Thorgils
Makson. Gaut had made ready to go in this same ship wherein Thorgeir
was to sail. He bristled up against Thorgeir, and showed mighty
ill-will against him and went about scowling; when the chapmen found
this out, they thought it far from safe that both should sail in one