Thorsteinn told him to go South to his kinsmen, but to return to him if he found them of no use.

Grettir did so.  He went to Borgarfjord in the South to visit Grim the son of Thorhall, and stayed with him till the Thing was over.  Grim sent him on to Skapti the Lawman at Hjalli.  He went South over the lower heaths and did not stop before he reached Tunga, where he went to Thorhall, the son of Asgrim the son of Ellidagrim, and paid few visits to the farms around.  Thorhall knew of Grettir through the relations which had been between their ancestors; indeed Grettir’s name was well known throughout the country because of his exploits.  Thorhall was a wise man and treated Grettir well, but did not want to keep him there for very long.

CHAPTER LIV

ADVENTURE WITH LOPT

Grettir went from Tunga up the Haukadal valley northwards to Kjol and was there for some time in the summer.  For men travelling either to the North or to the South there was no certainty of their not being stripped of what they had on them, for he was hard pressed for the means of living.

One day when Grettir was keeping to the North near Dufunesskeid he saw a man riding South along the Kjol valley.  He was a tall man on horseback, riding a good horse with a studded bridle, and was leading another horse loaded with sacks.  He had a slouched hat on his head, so that his face was not clearly seen.  Grettir was very pleased to see his horse and his property, and went to meet him and asked him his name.  He said it was Lopt, and added:  “I know what your name is; you are Grettir the Strong, son of Asmund.  Whither are you going?”

“I have not made up my mind yet about that,” said Grettir.  “My present business is to know whether you will lay off some of the property which you are travelling with.”

“Why should I give you what belongs to me?  What will you give me for the things?”

“Have you not heard that I never pay anything?  And yet it seems to most people that I get what I want.”

Lopt said:  “Make this offer to those who seem good to you; I am not going to give my property away for nothing.  Let us each go our own way.”  Then he whipped on his horse and was about to ride away from Grettir.

“We shall not part so quickly as that,” said Grettir, and seized the bridle of Lopt’s horse in front of his hands, pulled it from him and held it with both hands.

“Go your own way,” said Lopt; “you will get nothing from me as long as I am able to hold it.”

“That shall now be tried,” said Grettir.

Lopt reached down along the cheek-strap and got hold of the reins between the end ring and Grettir’s hands, pulling with such force that Grettir let go, and at last Lopt wrenched the whole bridle away from him.  Grettir looked at his palms and thought that this man must have strength in his claws rather than not.  Then he looked at him and said:  “Where are you going to now?”