Then Flosi would neither give nor take peace, and he said to the sons of Sigfus—­

“Go we now home; one fate shall befall us all.”

Then they went home to their booth, and Hall said—­

“Here most unlucky men have a share in this suit.”

Njal and his sons went home to their booth, and Njal said—­

“Now comes to pass what my heart told me long ago, that this suit would fall heavy on us.”

“Not so,” says Skarphedinn; “they can never pursue us by the laws of the land.”

“Then that will happen,” says Njal, “which will be worse for all of us.”

Those men who had given the money spoke about it, and said that they should take it back; but Gudmund the powerful said—­

“That shame I will never choose for myself, to take back what I have given away, either here or elsewhere.”

“That is well spoken,” they said; and then no one would take it back.

Then Snorri the priest said, “My counsel is, that Gizur the white and Hjallti Skeggi’s son keep the money till the next Althing; my heart tells me that no long time will pass ere there may be need to touch this money”.

Hjallti took half the money and kept it safe, but Gizur took the rest.

Then men went home to their booths.

CHAPTER CXXIII.

AN ATTACK PLANNED ON NJAL AND HIS SONS.

Flosi summoned all his men up to the “Great Rift,” and went thither himself.

So when all his men were come, there were one hundred and twenty of them.

Then Flosi spake thus to the sons of Sigfus—­

“In what way shall I stand by you in this quarrel, which will be most to your minds?”

“Nothing will please us,” said Gunnar Lambi’s son, “until those brothers, Njal’s sons, are all slain.”

“This,” said Flosi, “will I promise to you, ye sons of Sigfus, not to part from this quarrel before one of us bites the dust before the other, I will also know whether there be any man here who will not stand by us in this quarrel.”

But they all said they would stand by him.

Then Flosi said—­

“Come now all to me, and swear an oath that no man will shrink from this quarrel.”

Then all went up to Flosi and swore oaths to him; and then Flosi said—­

“We will all of us shake hands on this, that he shall have forfeited life and land who quits this quarrel ere it be over.”

These were the chiefs who were with Flosi:—­Kol the son of Thorstein broadpaunch, the brother’s son of Hall of the Side, Hroald Auzur’s son from Broadwater, Auzur son of Anund wallet-back, Thorstein the fair the son of Gerleif, Glum Hilldir’s son, Modolf Kettle’s son, Thorir the son of Thord Illugi’s son of Mauratongue, Kolbein and Egil Flosi’s kinsmen, Kettle Sigfus’ son, and Mord his brother, Ingialld of the Springs, Thorkel and Lambi, Grani Gunnar’s son, Gunnar Lambi’s son, and Sigmund Sigfus’ son, and Hroar from Hromundstede.