CHAPTER LXXIII

VISIT OF THORBJORN ANGLE TO DRANGEY

At the end of the summer Thorbjorn Angle went with a boat fully manned to Drangey.  Grettir and his party came forward on the cliff and they talked together.  Thorbjorn begged Grettir to do so much for his asking as to quit the island.  Grettir said there was not much hope of that.  Thorbjorn said:  “It may be that I can give you some assistance which will make it worth your while to do this.  Many of the bondis have now given up the shares which they had in the island to me.”

Grettir said:  “Now for the very reason that you have just told me, because you own the greater part of the island, I am determined never to go hence.  We may now divide the cabbage.  It is true that I thought it irksome to have the whole of Skagafjord against me, but now neither need spare the other, since neither is suffocated with the love of his fellows.  You may as well put off your journeys hither, for the matter is settled so far as I am concerned.”

“All abide their time,” he said, “and you abide evil.”

“I must risk that,” he said.  And so they parted.  Thorbjorn returned home again.

CHAPTER LXXIV

THE FIRE GOES OUT IN DRANGEY

Grettir had, it is said, been two years in Drangey, and they had slaughtered nearly all the sheep.  One ram, it is told, they allowed to live; it was grey below and had large horns.  They had much sport with it, for it was very tame and would stand outside and follow them wherever they went.  It came to the hut in the evening and rubbed its horns against the door.  They lived very comfortably, having plenty to eat from the birds on the island and their eggs, nor had they much trouble in gathering wood for fire.  Grettir always employed the man to collect the drift, and there were often logs cast ashore there which he brought home for fuel.  The brothers had no need to work beyond going to the cliffs, which they did whenever they chose.  The thrall began to get very slack at his work; he grumbled much and was less careful than before.  It was his duty to mind the fire every night, and Grettir bade him be very careful of it as they had no boat with them.  One night it came to pass that the fire went out.  Grettir was very angry and said it would only be right that Glaum should have a hiding.  The thrall said he had a very poor life of it to have to lie there in exile and be ill-treated and beaten if anything went wrong.  Grettir asked Illugi what was to be done, and he said he could think of nothing else but to wait until a ship brought them some fire.

Grettir said that would be a very doubtful chance to wait for.  “I will venture it,” he said, “and see whether I can reach the land.”

“That is a desperate measure,” said Illugi.  “We shall be done for if you miscarry.”