ould oft show.

Now he put a price on his head, as was wont to be done with other
wood-folk, and thereafter rode home.

Many men got saying that this was done rather by the high hand than
according to law; but so it stood as it was done; and now nought else
happed to tell of till past midsummer.

CHAP. XLVII.

<i>Grettir comes out to Iceland again</i>.

When summer was far spent came Grettir Asmundson out to Whiteriver
in Burgfirth; folk went down to the ship from thereabout, and these
tidings came all at once to Grettir; the first, that his father was
dead, the second, that his brother was slain, the third, that he
himself was made an outlaw throughout all the land. Then sang Grettir
this stave:--

"Heavy tidings thick and fast
On the singer now are cast;
My father dead, my brother dead,
A price set upon my head;
Yet, O grove of Hedin's maid,
May these things one day be paid;
Yea upon another morn
Others may be more forlorn."

So men say that Grettir changed nowise at these tidings, but was even
as merry as before.

Now he abode with the ship awhile, because he could get no horse to
his mind. But there was a man called Svein, who dwelt at Bank up from
Thingness, he was a good bonder and a merry man, and often sang such
songs as were gamesome to hear; he had a mare black to behold, the
swiftest of all horses, and her Svein called Saddle-fair.

Now Grettir went one night away from the wolds, but he would not that
the chapmen should be ware of his ways; he got a black cape, and threw
it over his clothes, and so was disguised; he went up past Thingness,
and so up to Bank, and by then it was daylight. He saw a black horse
in the homefield and went up to it, and laid bridle on it, leapt on
the back of it, and rode up along Whiteriver, and below Bye up to
Flokedale-river, and then up the tracks above Kalfness; the workmen
at Bank got up now and told the bonder of the man who had got on his
mare; he got up and laughed, and sang--

"One that helm-fire well can wield
Rode off from my well-fenced field,
Helm-stalk stole away from me
Saddle-fair, the swift to see;
Certes, more great deeds this Frey
Yet shall do in such-like way
As this was done; I deem him then
Most overbold and rash of men."

Then he took horse and rode after him; Grettir rode on till he came
up to the homestead at Kropp; there he met a man called Hall, who
said that he was going down to the ship at th