er Grettir made ready for swimming, and cast his clothes
from off him; of clothes he had on but a cape and sail-cloth breeches;
he girt up the cape and tied a bast-rope strongly round his middle,
and had with him a cask; then he leaped overboard; he stretched across
the sound, and got aland.

There he saw a house stand, and heard therefrom the talk of men, and
much clatter, and therewith he turned toward that house.

Now is it to be said of those that were there before, that here were
come the sons of Thorir, as is aforesaid; they had lain there many
nights, and bided there the falling of the gale, that they might
have wind at will to go north, beyond Stead. They had set them down
a-drinking, and were twelve men in all; their ship rode in the main
haven, and they were at a house of refuge for such men to guest in, as
went along the coast.

Much straw had been borne into the house, and there was a great fire
on the floor; Grettir burst into the house, and wotted not who was
there before; his cape was all over ice when he came aland, and he
himself was wondrous great to behold, even as a troll; now those first
comers were exceeding amazed at him, and deemed he must be some evil
wight; they smote at him with all things they might lay hold of, and
mighty din went on around them; but Grettir put off all blows strongly
with his arms, then some smote him with fire-brands, and the fire
burst off over all the house, and therewith he got off with the fire
and fared back again to his fellows.

They mightily praised his journey and the prowess of it, and said
that his like would never be. And now the night wore, and they deemed
themselves happy in that they had got the fire.

The next morning the weather was fair; the chapmen woke early and got
them ready to depart, and they talked together that now they should
meet those who had had the rule of that fire, and wot who they were.

Now they unmoored their ship, and crossed over the sound; there they
found no hall, but saw a great heap of ashes, and found therein many
bones of men; then they deemed that this house of refuge had been
utterly burned up, with all those men who had been therein.

Thereat they asked if Grettir had brought about that ill-hap, and said
that it was the greatest misdeed.

Grettir said, that now had come to pass even as he had misdoubted,
that they should reward him ill for the fetching of the fire, and that
it was ill to help unmanly men.

Grettir g