ung a stave--

Yes, so must it be, this morning--
Now my mind is full of fire--
Hrut with me on yonder island
Raises roar of helm and shield.
All that hear my words bear witness,
Warriors grasping Woden's guard,
Unless the wealthy wight down payeth
Dower of wife with flowing veil.

After that Gunnar went away from the court with all his followers. Hrut
and Hauskuld went home too, and the suit was never pursued nor defended
from that day forth. Hrut said, as soon as he got inside the booth,
"This has never happened to me before, that any man has offered me
combat and I have shunned it".

"Then thou must mean to fight," says Hauskuld, "but that shall not be if
I have my way; for thou comest no nearer to Gunnar than Mord would have
come to thee, and we had better both of us pay up the money to Gunnar."

After that the brothers asked the householders of their own country what
they would lay down, and they one and all said they would lay down as
much as Hrut wished.

"Let us go then," says Hauskuld, "to Gunner's booth, and pay down the
money out of hand." That was told to Gunnar, and he went out into the
doorway of the booth, and Hauskuld said--

"Now it is thine to take the money."

Gunnar said--

"Pay it down, then, for I am ready to take it."

So they paid down the money truly out of hand, and then Hauskuld
said--"Enjoy it now, as thou hast gotten it". Then Gunnar sang another
stave--

Men who wield the blade of battle
Hoarded wealth may well enjoy,
Guileless gotten this at least,
Golden meed I fearless take;
But if we for woman's quarrel,
Warriors born to brandish sword,
Glut the wolf with manly gore,
Worse the lot of both would be.

Hrut answered--"Ill will be thy meed for this".

"Be that as it may," says Gunnar.

Then Hauskuld and his brother went home to their booth, and he had much
upon his mind, and said to Hrut--

"Will this unfairness of Gunnar's never be avenged?"

"Not so," says Hrut; "'twill be avenged on him sure enough, but we shall
have no share nor profit in that vengeance. And after all it is most
likely that he will turn to our stock to seek for friends."

After that they left off speaking of the matter. Gunnar showed Njal the
money, and he said--"The suit has gone off well".

"Ay," says Gunnar, "but it was all thy doing."

Now men rode home from the Thing, and Gunnar got very great honour from
the suit. Gunnar handed over all the money to Unn