“I shall not drown in the channel,” he said.  “I shall trust the thrall less in future since he has failed in a matter of such moment to us.”

The shortest passage from the island to the mainland is one sea-mile.

CHAPTER LXXV

GRETTIR SWIMS TO THE MAINLAND FOR FIRE

Grettir then prepared for his swim.  He wore a cloak of coarse material with breeches and had his fingers webbed.  The weather was fine; he left the island towards the evening.  Illugi thought his journey was hopeless.  Grettir had the current with him and it was calm as he swam towards the fjord.  He smote the water bravely and reached Reykjanes after sunset.  He went into the settlement at Reykir, bathed in the night in a warm spring, and then entered the hall, where it was very hot and a little smoky from the fire which had been burning there all day.  He was very tired and slept soundly, lying on right into the day.  When it was a little way on in the morning the servants rose, and the first to enter the room were two women, the maid with the bondi’s daughter.  Grettir was asleep, and his clothes had all fallen off on to the floor.  They saw a man lying there and recognised him.  The maid said: 

“As I wish for salvation, sister, here is Grettir the son of Asmund come.  He really is large about the upper part of his body, and is lying bare.  But he seems to me unusually small below.  It is not at all in keeping with the rest of him.”

The bondi’s daughter said:  “How can you let your tongue run on so?  You are more than half a fool!  Hold your tongue!”

“I really cannot be silent, my dear sister,” said the maid; “I would not have believed it if any one had told me.”

Then she went up to him to look more closely, and kept running back to the bondi’s daughter and laughing.  Grettir heard what she said, sprang up and chased her down the room.  When he had caught her he spoke a verse: 

(Verse missing in manuscript)

Soon afterwards Grettir went to the bondi Thorvald, told him his difficulty and asked him to take him out to the island again, which he did, lending him a ship and taking him over.  Grettir thanked him for his courtesy.  When it became known that Grettir had swum a sea-mile, every one thought his courage extraordinary both on sea and on land.  The men of Skagafjord blamed Thorbjorn Angle much for not having ridded Drangey of Grettir, and all wanted their shares back again.  That did not suit him and he asked them to have patience.

CHAPTER LXXVI

ADVENTURE OF HAERING IN DRANGEY

That summer a ship came to Gonguskardsos, on board of which was a man named Haering.  He was a young man and very active; he could climb any cliff.  He went to visit Thorbjorn Angle and stayed there into the autumn.  He pressed Thorbjorn much to take him to Drangey, that he might see whether the cliff was so high that he could not get up there.  Thorbjorn said it should not be for nothing if he succeeded in getting up on to the island and either killing or wounding Grettir; he made it appear attractive as a task for Haering to undertake.