Thrain gave the Vulture to his kinsman, Mord the reckless; that Mord slew Oddi Haldor’s son, east in Gautawick by Berufirth.

All Thrain’s kinsmen looked on him as a chief.

CHAPTER LXXXVIII.

EARL HACON FIGHTS WITH NJAL’S SONS.

Now we must take up the story, and say how, when Earl Hacon missed Thrain, he spoke to Sweyn his son, and said—­

“Let us take four long-ships, and let us fare against Njal’s sons and slay them, for they must have known all about it with Thrain.”

“’Tis not good counsel,” says Sweyn, “to throw the blame on guiltless men, but to let him escape who is guilty.”

“I shall have my way in this,” says the Earl.

Now they hold on after Njal’s sons, and seek for them, and find them under an island.

Grim first saw the Earl’s ships and said to Helgi—­

“Here are war ships sailing up, and I see that here is the Earl, and he can mean to offer us no peace.”

“It is said,” said Helgi, “that he is the boldest man who holds his own against all comers, and so we will defend ourselves.”

They all bade him take the course he thought best, and then they took to their arms.

Now the Earl comes up and called out to them, And bade them give themselves up.

Helgi said that they would defend themselves so long as they could.

Then the Earl offered peace and quarter to all who would neither defend themselves nor Helgi; but Helgi was so much beloved that all said they would rather die with him.

Then the Earl and his men fall on them, but they defended themselves well, and Njal’s sons were ever where there was most need.  The Earl often offered peace, but they all made the same answer, and said they would never yield.

Then Aslak of Longisle pressed them hard, and came on board their ship thrice.  Then Grim said—­

“Thou pressest on hard, and ’twere well that thou gettest what thou seekest;” and with that he snatched up a spear and hurled it at him, and hit him under the chin, and Aslak got his death wound there and then.

A little after, Helgi slew Egil the Earl’s banner-bearer.

Then Sweyn, Earl Bacon’s son, fell on them, and made men hem them in and bear them down with shields, and so they were taken captive.

The Earl was for letting them all be slain at once, but Sweyn said that should not be, and said too that it was night.

Then the Earl said, “Well, then, slay them to-morrow, but bind them fast to-night”.

“So, I ween, it must be,” says Sweyn; “but never yet have I met brisker men than these, and I call it the greatest manscathe to take their lives.”

“They have slain two of our briskest men,” said the Earl, “and for that they shall be slain.”

“Because they were brisker men themselves,” says Sweyn; “but still in this it must be done as thou wiliest.”