k of my
paying thee back somehow?"

"I will not do that either," says Otkell.

Skamkell all the while was giving him bad counsel.

Then Thrain Sigfus' son said, "It would serve him right if we take both
hay and meat and lay down the worth of them instead".

Skamkell answered, "All the men of Mossfell must be dead and gone then,
if ye, sons of Sigfus, are to come and rob them".

"I will have no hand in any robbery," says Gunnar.

"Wilt thou buy a thrall of me?" says Otkell.

"I'll not spare to do that," says Gunnar. After that Gunnar bought the
thrall, and fared away as things stood.

Njal hears of this, and said, "Such things are ill done, to refuse to
let Gunnar buy; and it is not a good outlook for others if such men as
he cannot get what they want".

"What's the good of thy talking so much about such a little matter?"
says Bergthora; "far more like a man would it be to let him have both
meat and hay, when thou lackest neither of them."

"That is clear as day," says Njal, "and I will of a surety supply his
need somewhat."

Then he fared up to Thorolfsfell, and his sons with him, and they bound
hay on fifteen horses; but on five horses they had meat. Njal came to
Lithend, and called Gunnar out. He greeted them kindly.

"Here is hay and meat," said Njal, "which I will give thee; and my wish
is, that thou shouldst never look to any one else than to me if thou
standest in need of any thing."

"Good are thy gifts," says Gunnar, "but methinks thy friendship is still
more worth, and that of thy sons."

After that Njal fared home, and now the spring passes away.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

HOW HALLGERDA MAKES MALCOLM STEAL FROM KIRKBY.

Now Gunnar is about to ride to the Thing, but a great crowd of men from
the Side east turned in as guests at his house.

Gunnar bade them come and be his guests again, as they rode back from
the Thing; and they said they would do so.

Now they ride to the Thing, and Njal and his sons were there. That Thing
was still and quiet.

Now we must take up the story, and say that Hallgerda comes to talk with
Malcolm the thrall.

"I have thought of an errand to send thee on," she says; "thou shalt go
to Kirkby."

"And what shall I do there?" he says.

"Thou shalt steal from thence food enough to load two horses, and mind
and have butter and cheese; but thou shalt lay fire in the storehouse,
and all will think that it has arisen out of heedlessness, but no one
will think that