the mountains.]

Grettir said, "It is of no avail to seek after thine abode if thou
tellest of it no clearer than this."

Then Air spake and sang--

"I would not hide
Where I abide,
If thou art fain
To see me again;
From that lone weald,
Over Burgfirth field,
That ye men name
Balljokul, I came."

Thereat they parted, and Grettir sees that he has no strength against
this man; and therewithal he sang a stave--

"Too far on this luckless day,
Atli, good at weapon-play,
Brisk Illugi were from me;
Such-like oft I shall not be
As I was, when I must stand
With the reins drawn through my hand
By the unflinching losel Air.
Maids weep when they know I fear."

Thereafter Grettir went to the south from the Keel; and rode to Hjalli
and found Skapti, and prayed for watch and ward from him.

Skapti said, "It is told me that thou farest somewhat lawlessly, and
layest hand on other men's goods; and this beseems thee ill, great of
kin as thou art. Now all would make a better tale, if thou didst not
rob and reive; but whereas I have to bear the name of lawman in the
land, folk would not abide that I should take outlawed men to me, and
break the laws thereby. I will that thou seek some place wherein thou
wilt not have need to take men's goods from them."

Grettir said he would do even so, yet withal that he might scarcely be
alone because he so feared the dark.

Skapti said that of that one thing then, which he deemed the best, he
might not avail himself; "But put not such trust in any as to fare as
thou didst in the Westfirths; it has been many a man's bane that he
has been too trustful."

Grettir thanked him for his wholesome redes, and so turned back to
Burgfirth in the autumn, and found Grim Thorhallson, his friend,
and told him of Skapti's counsels; so Grim bade him fare north to
Fishwater lakes on Ernewaterheath; and thus did he.

CHAP. LV.

<i>Of Grettir on Ernewaterheath, and his dealings with Grim there</i>.

Grettir went up to Ernewaterheath and made there a hut for himself
(whereof are yet signs left) and dwelt there, for now was he fain to
do anything rather than rob and reive; he got him nets and a boat
and caught fish for his food; exceeding dreary he deemed it in the
mountains, because he was so fearsome of the dark.

But when other outlaws heard this, that Grettir was come down there,
many of them had a mind to see him, because they thought there was
much av