Gunnar said—­“I wish to let thee know that I have undertaken to get Unna’s goods back from Hrut”.

“A very hard suit to undertake,” said Njal, “and one very hazardous how it will go; but still I will get it up for thee in the way I think likeliest to succeed, and the end will be good if thou breakest none of the rules I lay down; if thou dost, thy life is in danger.”

“Never fear; I will break none of them,” said Gunnar.

Then Njal held his peace for a little while, and after that he spoke as follows:—­

CHAPTER XXII.

NJAL’S ADVICE.

“I have thought over the suit, and it will do so.  Thou shalt ride from home with two men at thy back.  Over all thou shalt have a great rough cloak, and under that, a russet kirtle of cheap stuff, and under all, thy good clothes.  Thou must take a small axe in thy hand, and each of you must have two horses, one fat, the other lean.  Thou shalt carry hardware and smith’s work with thee hence, and ye must ride off early to-morrow morning, and when ye are come across Whitewater westwards, mind and slouch thy hat well over thy brows.  Then men will ask who is this tall man, and thy mates shall say—­’Here is Huckster Hedinn the Big, a man from Eyjafirth, who is going about with smith’s work for sale’.  This Hedinn is ill-tempered and a chatterer—­a fellow who thinks he alone knows everything.  Very often he snatches back his wares, and flies at men if everything is not done as he wishes.  So thou shalt ride west to Borgarfirth offering all sorts of wares for sale, and be sure often to cry off thy bargains, so that it will be noised abroad that Huckster Hedinn is the worst of men to deal with, and that no lies have been told of his bad behaviour.  So thou shalt ride to Northwaterdale, and to Hrutfirth, and Laxriverdale, till thou comest to Hauskuldstede.  There thou must stay a night, and sit in the lowest place, and hang thy head down.  Hauskuld will tell them all not to meddle nor make with Huckster Hedinn, saying he is a rude unfriendly fellow.  Next morning thou must be off early and go to the farm nearest Hrutstede.  There thou must offer thy goods for sale, praising up all that is worst, and tinkering up the faults.  The master of the house will pry about and find out the faults.  Thou must snatch the wares away from him, and speak ill to him.  He will say—­’Twas not to be hoped that thou wouldst behave well to him, when thou behavest ill to every one else.  Then thou shalt fly at him, though it is not thy wont, but mind and spare thy strength, that thou mayest not be found out.  Then a man will be sent to Hrutstede to tell Hrut he had best come and part you.  He will come at once and ask thee to his house, and thou must accept his offer.  Thou shalt greet Hrut, and he will answer well.  A place will be given thee on the lower bench over against Hrut’s high-seat.  He will ask if thou art from the North, and thou shalt answer that thou art a man of Eyjafirth.  He will go on to ask if there are very many famous men there.  ’Shabby fellows enough and to spare,’ thou must answer.  ’Dost thou know Reykiardale and the parts about?’ he will ask.  To which thou must answer—­’I know all Iceland by heart’.