“Woe stands before the door of one but enters that of another,” answered Grettir.  “I am thinking how it may fare with you yourself before all is done.”

“It may be,” said Jokull, “that we both see what is before us, and yet we may not alter it.”

Then they parted, neither of them well pleased with the other’s prophetic saying.

CHAPTER XXXV

THE FIGHT WITH GLAM’S GHOST

Grettir rode to Thorhallsstad where he was welcomed by the bondi.

He asked Grettir whither he was bound, and Grettir said he wished to spend the night there if the bondi permitted.  Thorhall said he would indeed be thankful to him for staying there.

“Few,” he said, “think it a gain to stay here for any time.  You must have heard tell of the trouble that is here, and I do not want you to be inconvenienced on my account.  Even if you escape unhurt yourself, I know for certain that you will lose your horse, for no one can keep his beast in safety who comes here.”

Grettir said there were plenty more horses to be had if anything happened to this one.

Thorhall was delighted at Grettir’s wishing to remain, and received him with both hands.  Grettir’s horse was placed securely under lock and key and they both went to bed.  The night passed without Glam showing himself.

“Your being here has already done some good,” said Thorhall.  “Glam has always been in the habit of riding on the roof or breaking open the doors every night, as you can see from the marks.”

“Then,” Grettir said, “either he will not keep quiet much longer, or he will remain so more than one night.  I will stay another night and see what happens.”

Then they went to Grettir’s horse and found it had not been touched.  The bondi thought that all pointed to the same thing.  Grettir stayed a second night and again the thrall did not appear.  The bondi became hopeful and went to see the horse.  There he found the stable broken open, the horse dragged outside and every bone in his body broken.  Thorhall told Grettir what had occurred and advised him to look to himself, for he was a dead man if he waited for Glam.

Grettir answered:  “I must not have less for my horse than a sight of the thrall.”

The bondi said there was no pleasure to be had from seeing him:  “He is not like any man.  I count every hour a gain that you are here.”

The day passed, and when the hour came for going to bed Grettir said he would not take off his clothes, and lay down on a seat opposite to Thorkell’s sleeping apartment.  He had a shaggy cloak covering him with one end of it fastened under his feet and the other drawn over his head so that he could see through the neck-hole.  He set his feet against a strong bench which was in front of him.  The frame-work of the outer door had been all broken away and some bits of wood had been rigged up roughly in its place.  The partition which had once divided the hall from the entrance passage was all broken, both above the cross-beam and below, and all the bedding had been upset.  The place looked rather desolate.  There was a light burning in the hall by night.