"What fiend is there in the boat with them?" Illugi answers, "I deem
that it will be the carline, Thorbiorn's foster-mother."

"Curses on the witch-wight!" says Grettir, "nought worse could have
been looked for; at no words have I shuddered like as I shuddered
at those words she spake; and well I wot that from her, and her foul
cunning, some evil will be brought on us; yet shall she have some
token to mind her that she has sought us here."

Therewithal he caught up a marvellous great stone, and cast it down on
to the boat, and it smote that clothes-heap; and a longer stone-throw
was that than Thorbiorn deemed any man might make; but therewithal a
great shriek arose, for the stone had smitten the carline's thigh, and
broken it.

Then said Illugi, "I would thou hadst not done that!"

"Blame me not therefor," said Grettir, "I fear me the stroke has been
too little, for certes not overmuch weregild were paid for the twain
of us, though the price should be one carline's life."

"Must she alone be paid?" said Illugi, "little enough then will be
laid down for us twain."

Now Thorbiorn got him gone homeward, with no greetings at parting. But
he said to the carline,

"Now have matters gone as I thought, that a journey of little glory
thou shouldst make to the island; thou hast got maimed, and honour
is no nigher to us than before, yea, we must have bootless shame on
bootless shame."

She answered, "This will be the springing of ill-hap to them; and
I deem that henceforth they are on the wane; neither do I fear if I
live, but that I shall have revenge for this deed they have thus done
me."

"Stiff is thine heart, meseems, foster-mother," said Thorbiorn. With
that they came home, but the carline was laid in her bed, and abode
there nigh a month; by then was the hurt thigh-bone grown together
again, and she began to be afoot once more.

Great laughter men made at that journey of Thorbiorn and the carline,
and deemed he had been often enow out-played in his dealings with
Grettir: first, at the Spring-Thing in the peace handselling; next,
when Haering was lost, and now again, this third time, when the
carline's thigh-bone was broken, and no stroke had been played against
these from his part. But great shame and grief had Thorbiorn Angle
from all these words.

CHAP. LXXXI.

<i>Of the Carline's evil Gift to Grettir</i>.

Now wore away the time of autumn till it wanted but three weeks of
winter; then the carli