d not be back till Yule was past,
but his wife and daughter were in the house. 'Now am I well enough
minded to take revenge on Thorfinn,' said Thorir, 'and this man is
ready enough of tidings, and no need have we to drag the words out of
him.' So they all went up to the farm, but the women were distracted
with fear, thinking that Grettir had played false. He, however,
induced the berserkers to lay aside their arms, and when evening was
come, brought them beer in abundance, and entertained them with tales
and merry jests. After a while he proposed to lead them to Thorfinn's
treasure house: nothing loth they followed readily; when they were all
inside he managed to slip out and lock them in. He then ran back for
weapons: a broad-headed barbed spear, his sword and helmet. Now the
berserkers knew they had been entrapped; breaking down the panelling
of a wall they rushed out into the passage, where in the nick of time
arrived Grettir, who thrust Thorir through with his spear; Ogmund the
Evil was pressing close behind, so that the same thrust which pierced
the one transfixed the other also. The remainder defended themselves
with logs and whatever lay ready to hand, or tried to escape; but
Grettir slew all of them save two, who for the moment escaped, but
were found next day under a rock, dead from cold and wounds.

Shortly afterwards Thorfinn returned, and when he was told of the
wondrous deeds of Grettir, who had thus saved the honour of his house,
he bade him come to him whenever he needed aid; and the two were now
close friends; moreover, Grettir's fame began to spread abroad, and he
became renowned all over Norway. Leaving his friend Thorfinn, he took
passage in a ship belonging to one Thorkel, who lived in Heligoland.
He welcomed Grettir heartily to his house, but with a man called
Biorn, who lived there with him, the Icelander could by no means
agree, nor indeed did others find it easy, for Biorn's temper was
hasty and difficult.

It happened that a savage bear wrought havoc at that time, being so
grim that it spared neither man nor beast, so one night Biorn set out
to slay it. The bear was in its cave, in the track leading to which
Biorn lay down, with his shield over him, to wait for the beast to
stir abroad as its manner was. But the beast suspected the presence of
the man, and was slow to move; delayed so long indeed that Biorn fell
asleep. Now the bear became brisk enough, sallied forth, hooked its
claws in Biorn