So Gunnar rides home from the Thing and sits there in peace, but still his adversaries envied him much for his honour.

CHAPTER LXVI.

OF THORGEIR OTKELL’S SON.

Now we must tell of Thorgeir Otkell’s son; he grew up to be a tall strong man, true-hearted and guileless, but rather too ready to listen to fair words.  He had many friends among the best men, and was much beloved by his kinsmen.

Once on a time Thorgeir Starkad’s son had been to see his kinsman Mord.

“I can ill brook,” he says, “that settlement of matters which we and Gunnar had, but I have bought thy help so long as we two are above ground; I wish thou wouldest think out some plan and lay it deep; this is why I say it right out, because I know that thou art Gunnar’s greatest foe, and he too thine.  I will much increase thine honour if thou takest pains in this matter.”

“It will always seem as though I were greedy of gain, but so it must be.  Yet it will be hard to take care that thou mayest not seem to be a truce-breaker, or peace-breaker, and yet carry out thy point.  But now I have been told that Kolskegg means to try a suit, and regain a fourth part of Moeidsknoll, which was paid to thy father as an atonement for his son.  He has taken up this suit for his mother, but this too is Gunnar’s counsel, to pay in goods and not to let the land go.  We must wait till this comes about, and then declare that he has broken the settlement made with you.  He has also taken a cornfield from Thorgeir Otkell’s son, and so broken the settlement with him too.  Thou shalt go to see Thorgeir Otkell’s son, and bring him into the matter with thee, and then fall on Gunnar; but if ye fail in aught of this, and cannot get him hunted down, still ye shall set on him over and over again, I must tell thee that Njal has ‘spaed’ his fortune, and foretold about his life, if he slays more than once in the same stock, that it would lead him to his death, if it so fell out that he broke the settlement made after the deed.  Therefore shalt thou bring Thorgeir into the suit, because he has already slain his father; and now, if ye two are together in an affray, thou shalt shield thyself; but he will go boldly on, and then Gunnar will slay him.  Then he has slain twice in the same stock, but thou shalt fly from the fight.  And if this is to drag him to his death he will break the settlement afterwards, and so we may wait till then.”

After that Thorgeir goes home and tells his father secretly.  Then they agreed among themselves that they should work out this plot by stealth.

CHAPTER LXVII.

OF THORGEIR STARKAD’S SON.

Sometime after Thorgeir Starkad’s son fared to Kirkby to see his namesake, and they went aside to speak, and talked secretly all day; but at the end Thorgeir Starkad’s son, gave his namesake a spear inlaid with gold, and rode home afterwards; they made the greatest friendship the one with the other.