Grettir was left behind with Thorfinn, and little he stirred, and was at most times mighty short of speech.  Thorfinn bade give him meals, but otherwise paid small heed to him; Grettir was loth to follow him, and would not go out with him in the day; this Thorfinn took ill, but had not the heart to have food withheld from him.

Now Thorfinn was fond of stately house-keeping, and was a man of great joyance, and would fain have other men merry too:  but Grettir would walk about from house to house, and often went into other farms about the island.

There was a man called Audun who dwelt at Windham; thither Grettir went every day, and he made friends with Audun, and there he was wont to sit till far on in the day.  Now one night very late, as Grettir made ready to go home, he saw a great fire burst out on a ness to the north of Audun’s farm.  Grettir asked what new thing this might be.  Audun said that he need be in no haste to know that.

“It would be said,” quoth Grettir, “if that were seen in our land, that the flame burned above hid treasure.”

The farmer said, “That fire I deem to be ruled over by one into whose matters it avails little to pry.”

“Yet fain would I know thereof,” said Grettir.

“On that ness,” said Audun, “stands a barrow, great and strong, wherein was laid Karr the Old, Thorfinn’s father; at first father and son had but one farm in the island; but since Karr died he has so haunted this place that he has swept away all farmers who owned lands here, so that now Thorfinn holds the whole island; but whatsoever man Thorfinn holds his hand over, gets no scathe.”

Grettir said that he had told his tale well:  “And,” says he, “I shall come here to-morrow, and then thou shalt have digging-tools ready.”

“Now, I pray thee,” says Audun, “to do nought herein, for I know that Thorfinn will cast his hatred on thee therefor.”

Grettir said he would risk that.

So the night went by, and Grettir came early on the morrow and the digging-tools were ready; the farmer goes with him to the barrow, and Grettir brake it open, and was rough-handed enough thereat, and did not leave off till he came to the rafters, and by then the day was spent; then he tore away the rafters, and now Audun prayed him hard not to go into the barrow; Grettir bade him guard the rope, “but I shall espy what dwells within here.”

Then Grettir entered into the barrow, and right dark it was, and a smell there was therein none of the sweetest.  Now he groped about to see how things were below; first he found horse-bones, and then he stumbled against the arm of a high-chair, and in that chair found a man sitting; great treasures of gold and silver were heaped together there, and a small chest was set under the feet of him full of silver; all these riches Grettir carried together to the rope; but as he went out through the barrow he was griped at right strongly; thereon he let go the treasure and rushed against the barrow-dweller, and now they set on one another unsparingly enough.