[Sidenote:  Hrut’s anger against Thorliek] A little while afterwards Hrut went to find Olaf his kinsman, and told him that he would not leave matters with Thorliek as they stood, and bade him furnish him with men to go and make a house-raid on Thorliek.  Olaf replied, “It is not right that you two kinsmen should be laying hands on each other; on Thorliek’s behalf this has turned out a matter of most evil luck.  I would sooner try and bring about peace between you, and you have often waited well and long for your good turn.”  Hrut said, “It is no good casting about for this; the sores between us two will never heal up; and I should like that from henceforth we should not both live in Salmon-river-Dale.”  Olaf replied, “It will not be easy for you to go further against Thorliek than I am willing to allow; but if you do it, it is not unlikely that dale and hill will meet."[4] Hrut thought he now saw things stuck hard and fast before him; so he went home mightily ill pleased; but all was quiet or was called so.  And for that year men kept quiet at home.

[Footnote 4:  i.e., old age = Hrut, and youthful power=Olaf, the greatest “goethi” in the countryside.]

CHAP.  XXXVIII

The Death of Stigandi.  Thorliek leaves Iceland

[Sidenote:  Stigandi and the slave woman] Now, to tell of Stigandi, he became an outlaw and an evil to deal with.  Thord was the name of a man who lived at Hundidale; he was a rich man, but had no manly greatness.  A startling thing happened that summer in Hundidale, in that the milking stock did not yield much milk, but a woman looked after the beast there.  At last people found out that she grew wealthy in precious things, and that she would disappear long and often, and no one knew where she was.  Thord brought pressure to bear on her for confession, and when she got frightened she said a man was wont to come and meet her, “a big one,” she said, “and in my eyes very handsome.”  Thord then asked how soon the man would come again to meet her, and she said she thought it would be soon.  After that Thord went to see Olaf, and told him that Stigandi must be about, not far away from there, and bade him bestir himself with his men and catch him.  Olaf got ready at once and came to Hundidale, and the bonds-woman was fetched for Olaf to have talk of her.  Olaf asked her where the lair of Stigandi was.  She said she did not know.  Olaf offered to pay her money if she would bring Stigandi within reach of him and his men; and on this they came to a bargain together.  The next day she went out to herd her cattle, and Stigandi comes that day to meet her. [Sidenote:  The death of Stigandi] She greeted him well, and offers to look through (the hair of) his head.  He laid his head down on her knee, and soon went to sleep.  Then she slunk away from under his head, and went to meet Olaf and his men, and told them what had happened.  Then they went towards Stigandi, and took counsel