s. He had
set his heart on Gudfinna Thorolf's daughter, Njal's kinswoman; she was
housekeeper at home there, and was then with child.

Now Bergthora came to talk with Thord Freedmanson; she said--

"Thou shalt go to kill Brynjolf, Hallgerda's kinsman."

"I am no man-slayer," he says, "but still I will do what ever thou
wilt."

"This is my will," she says.

After that he went up to Lithend, and made them call Hallgerda out, and
asked where Brynjolf might be.

"What's thy will with him?" she says.

"I want him to tell me where he has hidden Atli's body; I have heard say
that he has buried it badly."

She pointed to him, and said he was down yonder in Acretongue.

"Take heed," says Thord, "that the same thing does not befall him as
befell Atli."

"Thou art no man-slayer," she says, "and so nought will come of it even
if ye two do meet."

"Never have I seen man's blood, nor do I know how I should feel if I
did," he says, and gallops out of the "town" and down to Acretongue.

Rannveig, Gunnar's mother, had heard their talk.

"Thou goadest his mind much, Hallgerda," she says, "but I think him a
dauntless man, and that thy kinsman will find."

They met on the beaten way, Thord and Brynjolf; and Thord said--"Guard
thee, Brynjolf, for I will do no dastard's deed by thee".

Brynjolf rode at Thord, and smote at him with his axe. He smote at him
at the same time with his axe, and hewed in sunder the haft just above
Brynjolf s hands, and then hewed at him at once a second time, and
struck him on the collarbone, and the blow went straight into his trunk.
Then he fell from horseback, and was dead on the spot.

Thord met Hallgerda'a herdsman, and gave out the slaying as done by his
hand, and said where he lay, and bade him tell Hallgerda of the slaying.
After that he rode home to Bergthorsknoll, and told Bergthora of the
slaying, and other people too.

"Good luck go with thy hands," she said.

The herdsman told Hallgerda of the slaying; she was snappish at it, and
said much ill would come of it, if she might have her way.

CHAPTER XL.

GUNNAR AND NJAL MAKE PEACE ABOUT BRYNJOLF'S SLAYING.

Now these tidings come to the Thing, and Njal made them tell him the
tale thrice, and then he said--

"More men now become man-slayers than I weened."

Skarphedinn spoke--"That man, though, must have been twice fey," he
says, "who lost his life by our foster-father's hand, who has never seen
man's blood. And many