en came up, they,
too, sprang to the ground, and Hallbjorm strode towards Gunnar.

'Keep back,' said Gunnar, 'I have no quarrel with brave men like you,'
but Hallbjorm answered:

'I cannot for shame stand by while you kill my brother;' and he smote
with his spear at Gunnar. While they were fighting, Skamkell struck at
Gunnar's back with his axe, but Gunnar turned round, and, with his bill
caught the axe from beneath, so that it fell out of Skamkell's hands. A
second thrust with the bill stretched Skamkell on the ground, and after
him Otkell and three others. They slew eight men in all, Kolskegg
aiding.

After that they rode home, and as they went Gunnar said: 'I wonder if I
am less base than others because I kill men less willingly than they.'

* * * * *

The first thing Gunnar did was to seek counsel of Njal, who bid him take
care never to break the peace which was made between him and his foes,
and never to slay more than one man of the same race, 'else your life
will be but short.'

'Do you know the death you yourself will die?' he asked.

'Yes, I know it,' answered Njal.

'And what is it?' asked Gunnar once more.

'One that none could guess,' replied Njal, and Gunnar went away.

Now at the next Thing there was great dispute over this suit, but in the
end it was settled to Gunnar's honour, and Gizur the white and Geir the
priest gave pledges that they would keep the peace. But there were other
men who thought they had been wronged by Gunnar, and laid plots to anger
him, so that he might be outlawed and forced to leave the country.

By ill-fortune the words which Njal had spoken when he bade Gunnar never
to slay more than one man of the same race were noised abroad, and his
enemies made a plan by which Gunnar should be forced to fight Thorgeir,
son of Otkell, so that his doom might come upon him.

[Illustration: How Gunnar slew Thorgeir, Otkell's son.]

Thus matters stood for a while, and then Gunnar rode down to the isles
to see what his thralls were doing, and his foes heard of it, and
resolved to lie in wait for him at the Rang river.

But when Gunnar returned he was not alone, as they expected he would be,
for Kolskegg his brother was at his side, and carried the short sword
which some of them knew well, while Gunnar was armed with his sword and
his bill.

The two were yet far from the Rang river when the bill which Gunnar bore
in his hand sweated with blood, and Ko