ll lifted his head and looked at her.

'I have never been a thief, in spite of all my ill-deeds,' said he.

But Hallgerda only laughed and made sport of him.

'Do you think men have kept silent about your misdeeds?' she asked.
'Hie hence when I bid you, or you shall not see the new moon rise!'

And Malcolm the thrall knew that she spoke no jesting words, and he did
her bidding; and none would have known of the thing had he not dropped
his knife when he was trying to mend the thong of his shoe, and his belt
also.

A few days after that Gunnar and his men returned home, and many guests
with him. The table was set by Hallgerda herself, and besides meat there
were also great cheeses and jars of butter. Well Gunnar knew that Njal
had not sent these, and he asked Hallgerda whence they came.

'It beseems a man to eat what is before him and not to trouble himself
further,' answered Hallgerda; but Gunnar cried out:

'I will have no part in food that is ill come by,' and with that he gave
her a buffet on the cheek.

'I shall remember that,' said Hallgerda, and she got up and went out.

* * * * *

The next morning, Skamkell, Otkell's friend, was riding to bring in some
sheep, when he saw something bright on the side of the path. He got off
his horse to see what it was, and found the belt and knife which Malcolm
had dropped, and he took them straight to Kirkby.

'Did you ever see these things before?' asked Skamkell.

'Yes, often,' answered Otkell; 'they are the knife and belt of Malcolm
the thrall. And they asked many men the same question, and they all knew
them likewise. Then they went toward Mord the son of Valgard and took
counsel with him, how to charge Gunnar's thrall with the theft and the
burning; for they feared Gunnar, the mighty man of war. At last, for
three silver marks Mord agreed to give them his help, and bade them
follow out his plan.

It was this. That they should send women over the country with goods of
housekeeping use, and mark what was given them in exchange. 'Take heed
that you note carefully,' said Mord, 'because no man will keep in his
house the things that he has stolen, if he has a chance of getting rid
of them. Set therefore apart whatever you get from each house, and bring
it to me.'

And it was done exactly as Mord commanded, and in fourteen days the
women came back, all bearing large bundles.

'Who gave you the most?' asked Mord, and one woman answered