i] The day that men were to ride away from the feast
Kjartan raised his voice and said, "I call on you, Cousin Bolli, to
show yourself more willing henceforth than hitherto to do to us as
behoves a good man and true. I shall not set this matter forth in a
whisper, for within the knowledge of many people it is that a loss has
befallen here of a thing which we think has slipped into your own
keep. This harvest, when we gave a feast at Herdholt, my sword was
taken; it came back to me, but not the scabbard. Now again there has
been lost here a keepsake which men will esteem a thing of price. Come
what may, I will have them both back." Bolli answered, "What you put
down to me, Kjartan, is not my fault, and I should have looked for
anything else from you sooner than that you would charge me with
theft." Kjartan says, "I must think that the people who have been
putting their heads together in this affair are so near to you that it
ought to be in your power to make things good if you but would. You
affront us far beyond necessity, and long we have kept peaceful in
face on your enmity. But now it must be made known that matters will
not rest as they are now." Then Gudrun answered his speech and said,
"Now you rake up a fire which it would be better should not smoke.
Now, let it be granted, as you say, that there be some people here who
have put their heads together with a view to the coif disappearing. I
can only think that they have gone and taken what was their own. Think
what you like of what has become of the head-dress, but I cannot say I
dislike it though it should be bestowed in such a way as that Hrefna
should have little chance to improve her apparel with it henceforth."
After that they parted heavy of heart, and the Herdholtings rode
home. That was the end of the feasts, yet everything was to all
appearances quiet. [Sidenote: The end of the coif] Nothing was ever
heard of the head-dress. But many people held the truth to be that
Thorolf had burnt it in fire by the order of Gudrun, his sister. Early
that winter Asgeir Eider-drake died. His sons inherited his estate and
chattels.

CHAP. XLVII

Kjartan goes to Laugar, and of the Bargain for Tongue, A.D. 1003

[Sidenote: Kjartan's expedition to Laugar] After Yule that winter
Kjartan got men together, and they mustered sixty men altogether.
Kjartan did not tell his father the reason of his journey, and Olaf
asked but little about it. Kjartan took with him tents a