Hauskuld dwelt long at Ossaby, and each backed the other’s honour, and Njal’s sons were always in Hauskuld’s company.  Their friendship was so warm, that each house bade the other to a feast every harvest, and gave each other great gifts; and so it goes on for a long while.

CHAPTER CIII.

THE SLAYING OF HAUSKULD NJAL’S SON.

There was a man named Lyting; he dwelt at Samstede, and he had to wife a woman named Steinvora; she was a daughter of Sigfus, and Thrain’s sister.  Lyting was tall of growth and a strong man, wealthy in goods and ill to deal with.

It happened once that Lyting had a feast in his house at Samstede, and he had bidden thither Hauskuld and the sons of Sigfus, and they all came.  There, too, was Grani Gunnar’s son, and Gunnar Lambi’s son, and Lambi Sigurd’s son.

Hauskuld Njal’s son and his mother had a farm at Holt, and he was always riding to his farm from Bergthorsknoll, and his path lay by the homestead at Samstede.  Hauskuld had a son called Amund; he had been born blind, but for all that he was tall and strong.  Lyting had two brothers—­the one’s name was Hallstein, and the other’s Hallgrim.  They were the most unruly of men, and they were ever with their brother, for other men could not bear their temper.

Lyting was out of doors most of that day, but every now and then he went inside his house.  At last he had gone to his seat, when in came a woman who had been out of doors, and she said—­

“You were too far off to see outside how that proud fellow rode by the farmyard!”

“What proud fellow was that,” says Lyting, “of whom thou speakest?”

“Hauskuld Njal’s son rode here by the yard,” she says.

“He rides often here by the farmyard,” said Lyting, “and I can’t say that it does not try my temper; and now I will make thee an offer, Hauskuld [Sigfus’ son], to go along with thee if thou wilt avenge thy father and slay Hauskuld Njal’s son.”

“That I will not do,” says Hauskuld, “for then I should repay Njal, my foster father, evil for good, and mayst thou and thy feasts never thrive henceforth.”

With that he sprang up away from the board, and made them catch his horses, and rode home.

Then Lyting said to Grani Gunnar’s son—­

“Thou wert by when Thrain was slain, and that will still be in thy mind; and thou, too, Gunnar Lambi’s son, and thou, Lambi Sigurd’s son.  Now, my will is that we ride to meet him this evening, and slay him.”

“No,” says Grani, “I will not fall on Njal’s son, and so break the atonement which good men and true have made.”

With like words spoke each man of them, and so, too, spoke all the sons of Sigfus; and they took that counsel to ride away.

Then Lyting said, when they had gone away—­

“All men know that I have taken no atonement for my brother-in-law Thrain, and I shall never be content that no vengeance—­man for man—­shall be taken for him.”