Автор литература - Njal's Saga

has made over to me with her plighted hand.’

“But when men are sound asleep, you shall rise and take your

bridles and saddles, and tread softly, and go out of the house,

and put your saddles on your fat horses in the fields, and so

ride off on them, but leave the others behind you. You must ride

up into the hills away from the home pastures and stay there

three nights, for about so long will they seek you. After that

ride home south, riding always by night and resting by day. As

for us, we will then ride this summer to the Thing, and help thee

in thy suit.” So Gunnar thanked Njal, and first of all rode

home.

23. HUCKSTER HEDINN.

Gunnar rode from home two nights afterwards, and two men with

him; they rode along until they got on Bluewoodheath and then men

on horseback met them and asked who that tall man might be of

whom so little was seen. But his companions said it was Huckster

Hedinn. Then the others said a worse was not to be looked for

behind, when such a man as he went before. Hedinn at once made

as though he would have set upon them, but yet each went their

way. So Gunnar went on doing everything as Njal had laid it down

for him, and when he came to Hauskuldstede he stayed there the

night, and thence he went down the dale till he came to the next

farm to Hrutstede. There he offered his wares for sale, and

Hedinn fell at once upon the farmer. This was told to Hrut, and

he sent for Hedinn, and Hedinn went at once to see Hrut, and had

a good welcome. Hrut seated him over against himself, and their

talk went pretty much as Njal had guessed; but when they came to

talk of Rangrivervale, and Hrut asked about the men there, Gunnar

sung this stave —

“Men in sooth are slow to find —

So the people speak by stealth,

Often this hath reached my ears —

All through Rangar’s rolling vales.

Still I trow that Fiddle Mord,

Tried his hand in fight of yore;

Sure was never gold-bestower,

Such a man for might and wit.”

Then Hrut said, “Thou art a skald, Hedinn. But hast thou never

heard how things went between me and Mord?” Then Hedinn sung

another stave —

“Once I ween I heard the rumour,

How the Lord of rings (1) bereft thee;

From thine arms earth’s offspring (2) tearing,

Trickfull he and trustful thou.

Then the men, the buckler-bearers,

Begged the mighty gold-begetter,

Sharp sword oft of old he reddened,

Not to stand in strife with thee.”

So they went on, till Hrut, in answer told him how the suit must

be taken up, and recited the summons. Hedinn repeated it all

wrong, and Hrut burst out laughing, and had no mistrust. Then he

said, Hrut must summon once more, and Hrut did so. Then Hedinn

repeated the summons a second time, and this time right, and

called his companions to witness how he summoned Hrut in a suit

which Unna, Mord’s daughter, had made over to him with her

plighted hand. At night he went to sleep like other men, but as

soon as ever Hrut was sound asleep, they took their clothes and

arms, and went out and came to their horses, and rode off across

the river, and so up along the bank by Hiardarholt till the dale

broke off among the hills, and so there they are upon the fells

between Laxriverdale and Hawkdale, having got to a spot where no

one could find them unless he had fallen on them by chance.

Hauskuld wakes up that night at Hauskuldstede, and roused all his

household. “I will tell you my dream,” he said. “I thought I

saw a great bear go out of this house, and I knew at once this

beast’s match was not to be found; two cubs followed him, wishing

well to the bear, and they all made for Hrutstede and went into

the house there. After that I woke. Now I wish to ask if any of

you saw aught about yon tall man.”

Then one man answered him, “I saw how a golden fringe and a bit

of scarlet cloth peeped out at his arm, and on his right arm he

had a ring of gold.”

Hauskuld said, “This beast is no man’s fetch, but Gunnar’s of

Lithend, and now methinks I see all about it. Up! let us ride

to Hrutstede,” And they did so. Hrut lay in his locked bed, and

asks who have come there? Hauskuld tells who he is, and asked

what guests might be there in the house?

“Only Huckster Hedinn is here,” says Hrut.

“A broader man across the back, it will be, I fear,” says

Hauskuld, “I guess here must have been Gunnar of Lithend.”

“Then there has been a pretty trial of cunning,” says Hrut.

“What has happened?” says Hauskuld.

“I told him how to take up Unna’s suit, and I summoned myself and

he summoned after, and now he can use this first step in the

suit, and it is right in law.”

“There has, indeed, been a great falling off of wit on one side,”

said Hauskuld, “and Gunnar cannot have planned it all by himself;

Njal must be at the bottom of this plot, for there is not his

match for wit in all the land.”

Now they look for Hedinn, but he is already off and away; after

that they gathered folk, and looked for them three days, but

could not find them. Gunnar rode south from the fell to Hawkdale

and so east of Skard, and north to Holtbeaconheath, and so on

until he got home.

ENDNOTES:

(1) “Lord of rings,” a periphrasis for a chief, that is, Mord.

(2) “Earth’s offspring,” a periphrasis for woman, that is, Unna.

24. GUNNAR AND HRUT STRIVE AT THE THING.

Gunnar rode to the Althing, and Hrut and Hauskuld rode thither

too with a very great company. Gunnar pursues his suit, and

began by calling on his neighbours to bear witness, but Hrut and

his brother had it in their minds to make an onslaught on him,

but they mistrusted their strength.

Gunnar next went to the court of the men of Broadfirth, and bade

Hrut listen to his oath and declaration of the cause of the suit,

and to all the proofs which he was about to bring forward. After

that he took his oath, and declared his case. After that he

brought forward his witnesses of the summons, along with his

witnesses that the suit had been handed over to him. All this

time Njal was not at the court. Now Gunnar pursued his suit till

he called on the defendant to reply. Then Hrut took witness, and

said the suit was naught, and that there was a flaw in the

pleading; he declared that it had broken down because Gunnar had

failed to call those three witnesses which ought to have been

brought before the court. The first, that which was taken before

the marriage-bed, the second, before the man’s door, the third,

at the Hill of Laws. By this time Njal was come to the court and

said the suit and pleading might still be kept alive if they

chose to strive in that way.

“No,” says Gunnar, “I will not have that; I will do the same to

Hrut as he did to Mord my kinsman; or, are those brothers Hrut

and Hauskuld so near that they may hear my voice.”

“Hear it we can,” says Hrut. “What dost thou wish?”

Gunnar said, “Now all men here present be ear-witnesses, that I

challenge thee Hrut to single combat, and we shall fight to-day

on the holm, which is here in Oxwater. But if thou wilt not

fight with me, then pay up all the money this very day.”

After that Gunnar sung a stave —

“Yes, so must it be, this morning —

Now my mind is full of fire —

Hrut with me on yonder island

Raises roar of helm and shield.