And this was done; and when the roof fell down they beheld Gunnar
standing on the beam, shooting arrows at his enemies.

At this Mord cried once more that the house should be burned, but the
rest called shame on him, and then Thorbrand crept up on one side and
cut Gunnar's bowstring with his axe. But before he could reach the
ground again Gunnar had seized his bill, and driven it through his body.

Then, without looking round, Gunnar said swiftly to Hallgerda his wife:
'Let you and my mother cut off two locks of hair from your heads, and
twist them into my bowstring, so that I may shoot at them once more.'

'Does aught depend on it?' she asked. 'My life,' he said; and Hallgerda
made answer: 'Do you remember that time when you struck me in the face?'
said she; 'well, now you shall die for it.'

* * * * *

For many a day men sang of the fight which Gunnar made for his life and
the numbers that he slew before he himself was struck down and slain.

'We have laid low a great chief,' said Gizur, 'and many hearts will be
sore because of his slaying. But, though his body is dead, his name
shall live for ever.'

(_Saga_)

NJAL'S BURNING

Now, Valgard the Cunning was dying. And he sent for his son Mord and
bade him stir up strife between Njal's sons and their brother Hauskuld
the priest, for he ever hated Njal, and longed to be avenged on him. So
Mord fared to Hauskuld, and told him tales of what his brothers had said
of him, but Hauskuld bade him begone, for he would listen to none of his
stories. Then Mord left Hauskuld the priest, and had ready a long tale,
how that Hauskuld had meant to burn them while they sat at a feast in
Whiteness, had not Hogni, Gunnar's son, come by. And as this plan had
failed, he set about gathering his men together to slay his brothers as
they rode home, but neither Grani, son of Gunnar, nor Gunnar, son of
Lambi, had the heart to do it.

At first, neither Njal's sons, nor Kari, who had married their sister,
would give ear to Mord's false words, but in spite of themselves
ill-feelings began to spring up in their breasts towards Hauskuld.

Thus things went on for many months, and whenever Mord met one of Njal's
sons, or Kari, who had married their sister, he had new stories to tell
them, till at length their hearts grew hot, and they determined that
they would slay Hauskuld, lest perchance he might first slay them.

Hauskuld was sowing his corn wh