hey were half asleep on their horses, being weary
with much riding, and the horses were weary also. Suddenly, Skallagrim,
looking up, caught the faint gleam of light from swords hidden behind
some stones.

"Awake, lord!" he cried, "here are foes ahead."

Gizur's folk behind the stones heard his voice and came out from their
ambush. There were six of them, and they formed in line before the pair.
They were watching the mountain, for a rumour had reached them that Eric
was abroad, and, seeing him, they had hidden hastily behind the stones.

"Now what counsel shall we take?" said Eric, drawing Whitefire.

"We have often stood against men more than six, and sometimes we have
left more men than six to mark where we stood," answered Skallagrim. "It
is my counsel that we ride at them!"

"So be it," said Eric, and he spurred his weary horse with his heels.
Now when the six saw Eric and Skallagrim charge on them boldly, they
wavered, and the end of it was that they broke and fled to either side
before a blow was struck. For it had come to this pass, so great was the
terror of the names of Eric Brighteyes and Skallagrim Lambstail, that no
six men dared to stand before them in open fight.

So the path being clear they rode on up the slope. But when they had
gone a little way, Skallagrim turned his horse, and mocked those who had
lain in ambush, saying:

"Ye fight well, ye carles of Gizur, Ospakar's son! Ye are heroes,
surely! Say now, mighty men, will ye stand there if I come down alone
against you?"

At these words the men grew mad with wrath, and flung their spears.
Skallagrim caught one on his shield and it fell to the earth, but
another passed over his head and struck Eric on the left shoulder,
near the neck, making a deep wound. Feeling the spear fast in him, Eric
grasped it with his right hand, drew it forth, and turning, hurled it so
hard, that the man before it got his death from the blow, for his shield
did not serve to stay it. Then the rest fled.

Skallagrim bound up Eric's wound as well as he could, and they went on
to the cave. But when Eric's folk, watching above, saw the fight they
ran down and met him. Now the hurt was bad and Eric bled much; still,
within ten days it healed up for the time.

But a little while after Eric's wound was skinned over, the snows set
in on Mosfell, and the days grew short and the nights long. Once Gizur's
men to the number of fifty came half way up the mountain to take it;
bu