“I will let thee have thy way in this,” says Skarphedinn, “if thou wilt fare with us, and have some hand in it.”

“That I am ready to do,” says Mord, and so they bound that fast with promises, and he was to come there that evening.

Bergthora asked Njal—­

“What are they talking about out of doors?”

“I am not in their counsels,” says Njal, “but I was seldom left out of them when their plans were good.”

Skarphedinn did not lie down to rest that evening, nor his brothers, nor
Kari.

That same night, when it was well-nigh spent, came Mord Valgard’s son, and Njal’s sons and Kari took their weapons and rode away.  They fared till they came to Ossaby, and bided there by a fence.  The weather was good, and the sun just risen.

CHAPTER CX.

THE SLAYING OF HAUSKULD, THE PRIEST OF WHITENESS.

About that time Hauskuld, the Priest of Whiteness, awoke; he put on his clothes, and threw over him his cloak, Flosi’s gift.  He took his corn-sieve, and had his sword in his other hand, and walks towards the fence, and sows the corn as he goes.

Skarphedinn and his band had agreed that they would all give him a wound.  Skarphedinn sprang up from behind the fence, but when Hauskuld saw him he wanted to turn away, then Skarphedinn ran up to him and said—­

“Don’t try to turn on thy heel, Whiteness priest,” and hews at him, and the blow came on his head, and he fell on his knees.  Hauskuld said these words when he fell—­

“God help me, and forgive you!”

Then they all ran up to him and gave him wounds.

After that Mord said—­

“A plan comes into my mind.”

“What is that?” says Skarphedinn.

“That I shall fare home as soon as I can, but after that I will fare up to Gritwater, and tell them the tidings, and say ’tis an ill deed; but I know surely that Thorgerda will ask me to give notice of the slaying, and I will do that, for that will be the surest way to spoil their suit.  I will also send a man to Ossaby, and know how soon they take any counsel in the matter, and that man will learn all these tidings thence, and I will make believe that I have heard them from him.”

“Do so by all means,” says Skarphedinn.

Those brothers fared home, and Kari with them, and when they came home they told Njal the tidings.

“Sorrowful tidings are these,” says Njal, “and such are ill to hear, for sooth to say this grief touches me so nearly, that methinks it were better to have lost two of my sons and that Hauskuld lived.”

“It is some excuse for thee,” says Skarphedinn, “that thou art an old man, and it is to be looked for that this touches thee nearly.”

“But this,” says Njal, “no less than old age, is why I grieve, that I know better than thou what will come after.”

“What will come after?” says Skarphedinn.