had then been for one winter, found
Grettir and asked him for entertainment. He said: "I cannot allow
people to play with me again as the man did who came here last autumn,
pretending to be very friendly; before he had been here very long
he began plotting against my life. I cannot risk taking in anymore
forest-men."

"I think you have reason," Thorir said, "to mistrust forest-men. It may
be you have heard tell of me as a man of blood and a disturber of peace,
but never did you hear of such a monstrous deed of me as that I betrayed
my host. Ill is the lot of him who has an ill name; for men think of him
but as such; nor would I have come here if I had had any better choice.
All is not lost for us if we stand together. You might venture so
much to begin with as to try how you like me, and then if you find any
unfitness in me turn me away."

"Well," said Grettir, "I will risk it with you; but know of a surety
that if I suspect you of any treachery it will be your death."

Thorir agreed. Grettir took him in and found that in whatever he did he
had the strength of two men. He was ready for anything that Grettir gave
him to do. Nothing did Grettir need to do for himself, and he had never
lived so comfortably since he had become an outlaw. Nevertheless he was
so wary that Thorir got no chance. Two years was Thorir Redbeard with
Grettir on the Heath, and at last he began to weary of it. He thought
over what he could do to take Grettir off his guard.

One night in the spring a heavy gale sprang up while they were asleep.
Grettir awoke and asked where their boat was. Thorir sprang up, ran to
the boat, broke her all in pieces, and threw the fragments about so that
it looked as if the storm had wrecked her. Then he returned to the
hut and said aloud: "You have had bad luck, my friend. Our boat is all
broken in pieces and the nets are lying far out in the lake."

"Get them back then," said Grettir. "It seems to me to be your doing
that the boat is smashed."

"Of all things which I can do," said Thorir, "swimming is that which
suits me least. In almost anything else I think I can hold my own with
any ordinary man. You know very well that I have been no burden to you
since I came here; nor would I ask you to do this if I were able to do
it myself."

Grettir then arose, took his arms and went to the lake. There was a
point of land running out into the lake with a large bay on the further
side of it. The water was deep up to th