ttir had left Ljarskogar, and went back home.

CHAPTER L. GRETTIR WINTERS WITH THORGILS AT REYKJAHOLAR IN COMPANY WITH
THE FOSTER-BROTHERS

Grettir came to Reykjaholar towards the beginning of the winter and
asked Thorgils to let him stay the winter with him. Thorgils said he was
welcome to his entertainment, like other free men; "but," he said, "we
do not pay much attention to the preparation of the food."

Grettir said that would not trouble him.

"There is another little difficulty," Thorgils continued. "Some men are
expected here who are a little hot-headed, namely, the foster-brothers
Thorgeir and Thormod. I do not know how it will suit you to be together
with them. They shall always have entertainment here whenever they wish
for it. You may stay here if you will, but I will not have any of you
behaving ill to the others."

Grettir said that he would not be the first to raise a quarrel with any
man, more especially since the bondi had expressed his wish to him.

Soon after the foster-brothers came up. Thorgeir and Grettir did not
take very kindly to one another, but Thormod behaved with propriety.
Thorgils said to them what he had said to Grettir, and so great was the
deference paid to him that none of them spoke an improper word to the
other, although they did not always think alike. In this way the first
part of the winter was passed.

Men say that the islands called Olafseyjar, lying in the fjord about
a mile and a half from Reykjanes, belonged to Thorgils. He had there a
valuable ox, which he had not brought away in the autumn. He was always
saying that he wanted him to be brought in before Yule. One day the
foster-brothers prepared to go and fetch the ox, but wanted a third man
to help them. Grettir offered to go with them and they were very glad to
have him. So the three set out in a ten-oared boat. The weather was cold
and the wind from the North; the boat was lying at Hvalshausholm. When
they left the wind had freshened a little; they reached the island and
caught the ox. Grettir asked whether they preferred to ship the ox or to
hold the boat, for there was a high surf running on the shore. They told
him to hold the boat. He stood by her middle on the side away from the
land, the sea reaching right up to beneath his shoulders, but he held
the boat firmly so that she could not drift. Thorgeir took the ox by the
stern and Thormod by the head, and so they hove him into the boat.
Then they starte