Then Grettir went forth from the hall, and cried out loudly—­

“Go ye to your beds, women all, for so is goodman Thorir pleased to bid.”

They cursed him for this, and to hear them was like hearkening to the noise of many wolves.  Now the bearserks came forth from the hall, and Grettir said—­

“Let us go out, and I will show you Thorfinn’s cloth bower.”

They were willing to be led there; so they came to an out-bower exceeding great; a door there was to it, and a strong lock thereon, and the storehouse was very strong withal; there too was a closet good and great, and a shield panelling between the chambers; both chambers stood high, and men went up by steps to them.  Now the bearserks got riotous and pushed Grettir about, and he kept tumbling away from them, and when they least thought thereof, he slipped quickly out of the bower, seized the latch, slammed the door to, and put the bolt on.  Thorir and his fellows thought at first that the door must have got locked of itself, and paid no heed thereto; they had light with them, for Grettir had showed them many choice things which Thorfinn owned, and these they now noted awhile.  Meantime Grettir made all speed home to the farm, and when he came in at the door he called out loudly, and asked where the goodwife was; she held her peace, for she did not dare to answer.

He said, “Here is somewhat of a chance of a good catch; but are there any weapons of avail here?”

She answers, “Weapons there are, but how they may avail thee I know not.”

“Let us talk thereof anon,” says he, “but now let every man do his best, for later on no better chance shall there be.”

The good wife said, “Now God were in garth if our lot might better:  over Thorfinn’s bed hangs the barbed spear, the big one that was owned by Karr the Old; there, too, is a helmet and a byrni, and the short-sword, the good one; and the arms will not fail if thine heart does well.”

Grettir seizes the helmet and spear, girds himself with the short-sword, and rushed out swiftly; and the mistress called upon the house-carles, bidding them follow such a dauntless man, four of them rushed forth and seized their weapons, but the other four durst come nowhere nigh.  Now it is to be said of the bearserks that they thought Grettir delayed his coming back strangely; and now they began to doubt if there were not some guile in the matter.  They rushed against the door and found it was locked, and now they try the timber walls so that every beam creaked again; at last they brought things so far that they broke down the shield-panelling, got into the passage, and thence out to the steps.  Now bearserks’-gang seized them, and they howled like dogs.  In that very nick of time Grettir came up and with both hands thrust his spear at the midst of Thorir, as he was about to get down the steps, so that it went through him at once.  Now the spear-head was both long and broad, and Ogmund the Evil ran on to Thorir and