The Red Romance Book. Lang Andrew

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СКАЧАТЬ his tent, and he greeted them, and then Njal said that Bergthora his wife had done great wrong in breaking the atonement, and that Gunnar must now fix the award for Kol.

      ‘Let it be the same as that which I paid for Swart,’ said Gunnar; and Njal laid down the money and they parted, and no ill blood was between them, though their wives were still resolved to do each other all the ill they could.

      Njal was too wise a man not to know that Hallgerda would seek revenge on Atli for the slaying of Kol, and he begged Atli would take service far away to the east, so that Hallgerda might not reach him. But Atli told Njal that he would sooner be slain in his service than live free in the service of another master, and he would gladly stay where he was if Njal would grant him the atonement due to a free man.

      This Njal granted, and Atli remained in his house.

      Hallgerda soon came to know what had happened, and she sent messengers both to Bergthora and to Gunnar at the Thing to tell them about it.

      ‘Hallgerda my wife has caused Atli to be slain!’ said Gunnar to Njal and to Skarphedinn his son. ‘What atonement must I make for him?’

      ‘The atonement will be heavy, for he was no thrall, but a freeman, and I fear it may cause strife between us,’ replied Njal; but Gunnar stretched out his hand and said that no woman should sow strife betwixt him and Njal. Then Njal fixed a hundred ounces of silver, and Gunnar laid it down before him.

      ‘Hallgerda does not let our servants die of old age,’ said Skarphedinn, as they rode home from the Thing.

      Now the words came true, that Gunnar had spoken, and ‘blow for blow’ grew to be the rule between Hallgerda and Bergthora; but for all that there was no quarrel between Njal and Gunnar.

      So the years went by, and many Things had been held, and much blood-money had been paid, when one spring there was a great dearth of hay throughout all Iceland, and much cattle died. Gunnar, who was wise as well as rich, had seen what was coming and had laid up stores of both dried meat and of hay. As long as they lasted, he shared them with his neighbours, but when his barns were empty he called Kolskegg his brother and two of his friends, and they all fared to Kirkby, where dwelt Otkell the son of Skarf.

      This Otkell owned many flocks and herds and wide pastures, and Gunnar hoped that his barns might yet be full.

      ‘I have come to buy meat and hay, if there is any in your storehouses, for mine are empty!’ said Gunnar.

      ‘I have yet many storehouses untouched,’ answered Otkell, ‘but I will sell you nothing.’

      ‘Will you give me them, then?’ asked Gunnar, ‘and I will pay you back some time in what you will.’

      ‘I will neither give nor sell,’ said Otkell.

      ‘Let us take what we want and leave the money,’ said Thrain, who had come with Gunnar, but Gunnar answered: ‘I am no robber!’ and was turning to go when Otkell stopped him.

      ‘Will you buy a thrall from me? He is a good thrall,’ said Otkell, ‘but I have no need of him.’

      And Gunnar bought the thrall, and they all went home to Lithend together.

      When Njal heard that Otkell would not sell to Gunnar, he was very wroth and rode up into the hills with all his sons, and took meat from his storehouses and bound it upon five horses, and hay from his barns and bound it upon ten horses, and they drove them all to Lithend, which was Gunnar’s house.

      ‘Never ask another man for aught when you can ask me,’ said Njal, and Gunnar answered:

      ‘Your gifts are great, but truly your love is greater.’

      In a few weeks the summer began, and, as was his custom, Gunnar rode to the Thing, leaving Hallgerda in the house at Lithend.

      The day after he had ridden away with his men Hallgerda sent for Malcolm the thrall, and said to him:

      ‘I have somewhat for you to do! Take with you two horses besides the one you ride, and go to Kirkby and steal meat enough to load the two horses, and butter and cheese as well. But take heed, when all is done, to set the storehouses on fire, so that none can trace that the goods have vanished.’

      Malcolm the thrall lifted his head and looked at her.

      ‘I have never been a thief, in spite of all my ill-deeds,’ said he.

      But Hallgerda only laughed and made sport of him.

      ‘Do you think men have kept silent about your misdeeds?’ she asked. ‘Hie hence when I bid you, or you shall not see the new moon rise!’

      And Malcolm the thrall knew that she spoke no jesting words, and he did her bidding; and none would have known of the thing had he not dropped his knife when he was trying to mend the thong of his shoe, and his belt also.

      A few days after that Gunnar and his men returned home, and many guests with him. The table was set by Hallgerda herself, and besides meat there were also great cheeses and jars of butter. Well Gunnar knew that Njal had not sent these, and he asked Hallgerda whence they came.

      ‘It beseems a man to eat what is before him and not to trouble himself further,’ answered Hallgerda; but Gunnar cried out:

      ‘I will have no part in food that is ill come by,’ and with that he gave her a buffet on the cheek.

      ‘I shall remember that,’ said Hallgerda, and she got up and went out.

      The next morning, Skamkell, Otkell’s friend, was riding to bring in some sheep, when he saw something bright on the side of the path. He got off his horse to see what it was, and found the belt and knife which Malcolm had dropped, and he took them straight to Kirkby.

      ‘Did you ever see these things before?’ asked Skamkell.

      ‘Yes, often,’ answered Otkell; ‘they are the knife and belt of Malcolm the thrall. And they asked many men the same question, and they all knew them likewise. Then they went toward Mord the son of Valgard and took counsel with him, how to charge Gunnar’s thrall with the theft and the burning; for they feared Gunnar, the mighty man of war. At last, for three silver marks Mord agreed to give them his help, and bade them follow out his plan.

      It was this. That they should send women over the country with goods of housekeeping use, and mark what was given them in exchange. ‘Take heed that you note carefully,’ said Mord, ‘because no man will keep in his house the things that he has stolen, if he has a chance of getting rid of them. Set therefore apart whatever you get from each house, and bring it to me.’

      And it was done exactly as Mord commanded, and in fourteen days the women came back, all bearing large bundles.

      ‘Who gave you the most?’ asked Mord, and one woman answered:

      ‘Hallgerda, the wife of Gunnar; she gave us a cheese cut into great slices.’

      ‘I will keep that cheese,’ said Mord.

      When the women had gone, Mord rode away to Otkell’s farm, and bade him fetch the cheese-mould of Thorgerda his wife. And when it was brought, Mord took the slices and laid them in it, and they filled up the mould.

      After this they all saw that Hallgerda had stolen the cheese, and, now that Mord had found the thief, he went back to his own house.

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