Автор литература - Njal's Saga

“He will be a great worker enough, I daresay,” says Njal, “but I

do not know whether he will be such a good worker.”

Skarphedinn was good to Atli.

Njal and his sons ride to the Thing in the course of the summer;

Gunnar was also at the Thing.

Njal took out a purse of money.

“What money is that, father?”

“Here is the money that Gunnar paid me for our housecarle last

summer.”

“That will come to stand thee in some stead,” says Skarphedinn,

and smiled as he spoke.

ENDNOTES:

(1) Grieve, i.e., bailiff, head workman.

37. THE SLAYING OF KOL, WHOM ATLI SLEW

Now we must take up the story and say, that Atli asked Bergthora

what work he should do that day?

“I have thought of some work for thee,” she says; “thou shalt go

and look for Kol until thou find him; for now shalt thou slay him

this very day, if thou wilt do my will.”

“This work is well fitted,” says Atli, “for each of us two are

bad fellows; but still I will so lay myself out for him that one

or other of us shall die.”

“Well mayst thou fare,” she says, “and thou shalt not do this

deed for nothing.”

He took his weapons and his horse, and rode up to Fleetlithe, and

there met men who were coming down from Lithend. They were at

home east in the Mark. They asked Atli whither he meant to go?

He said he was riding to look for an old jade. They said that

was a small errand for such a workman, “but still ‘twould be

better to ask those who have been about last night.”

“Who are they?” says he.

“Killing-Kol,” say they, “Hallgerda’s housecarle, fared from the

fold just now, and has been awake all night.”

“I do not know whether I dare to meet him,” says Atli, “he is

bad-tempered, and may be that I shall let another’s wound be my

warning.”

“Thou bearest that look beneath the brows as though thou wert no

coward,” they said, and showed him where Kol was.

Then he spurred his horse and rides fast, and when he meets Ko1,

Atli said to him, “Go the packsaddle bands well,” says Atli.

“That’s no business of thine, worthless fellow, nor of any one

else whence thou comest.”

Atli said, “Thou hast something behind that is earnest work, but

that is to die.”

After that Atli thrust at him with his spear, and struck him

about his middle. Kol swept at him with his axe, but missed him,

and fell off his horse, and died at once.

Atli rode till he met some of Hallgerda’s workmen, and said, “Go

ye up to the horse yonder, and look to Kol, for he has fallen

off, and is dead.”

“Hast thou slain him? ” say they.

“Well, ‘twill seem to Hallgerda as though he has not fallen by

his own hand.”

After that Atli rode home and told Bergthora; she thanked him for

this deed, and for the words which he had spoken about it.

“I do not know,” says he, “what Njal will think of this.”

“He will take it well upon his hands,” she says, “and I will tell

thee one thing as a token of it, that he has carried away with

him to the Thing the price of that thrall which we took last

spring, and that money will now serve for Kol; but though peace

be made thou must still be ware of thyself, for Hallgerda will

keep no peace.”

“Wilt thou send at all a man to Njal to tell him of the slaying?”

“I will not,” she says, “I should like it better that Kol were

unatoned.”

Then they stopped talking about it.

Hallgerda was told of Kol’s slaying, and of the words that Atli

had said. She said Atli should be paid off for them. She sent a

man to the Thing to tell Gunnar of Kol’s slaying; he answered

little or nothing, and sent a man to tell Njal. He too made no

answer, but Skarphedinn said, “Thralls are men of more mettle

than of yore; they used to fly at each other and fight, and no

one thought much harm of that; but now they will do naught but

kill,” and as he said this he smiled.

Njal pulled down the purse of money which hung up in the booth,

and went out: his sons went with him to Gunnar’s booth.

Skarphedinn said to a man who was in the doorway of the booth,

“Say thou to Gunnar that my father wants to see him.”

He did so, and Gunnar went out at once and gave Njal a hearty

welcome. After that they began to talk.

“‘Tis ill done,” says Njal, “that my housewife should have broken

the peace, and let thy housecarle be slain.”

“She shall not have blame for that,” says Gunnar.

“Settle the award thyself,” says Njal.

“So I will do,” says Gunnar, “and I value those two men at an

even price, Swart and Kol. Thou shalt pay me twelve ounces in

silver.”

Njal took the purse of money and handed it to Gunnar. Gunnar

knew the money, and saw it was the same that he had paid Njal.

Njal went away to his booth, and they were just as good friends

as before. When Njal came home, he blamed Bergthora; but she

said she would never give way to Hallgerda. Hallgerda was very

cross with Gunnar, because he had made peace for Kol’s slaying.

Gunnar told her he would never break with Njal or his sons, and

she flew into a great rage; but Gunnar took no heed of that, and

so they sat for that year, and nothing noteworthy happened.

38. THE KILLING OF ATLI THE THRALL

Next spring Njal said to Atli, “I wish that thou wouldst change

thy abode to the east firths, so that Hallgerda may not put an

end to thy life?”

“I am not afraid of that,” says Atli, “and I will willingly stay

at home if I have the choice.”

“Still that is less wise,” says Njal.

“I think it better to lose my life in thy house than to change my

master; but this I will beg of thee, if I am slain, that a

thrall’s price shall not be paid for me.”

“Thou shalt be atoned for as a free man; but perhaps Bergthora

will make thee a promise which she will fulfil, that revenge, man

for man, shall be taken for thee.”

Then he made up his mind to be a hired servant there.

Now it must be told of Hallgerda that she sent a man west to

Bearfirth, to fetch Brynjolf the Unruly, her kinsman. He was a

base son of Swan, and he was one of the worst of men. Gunnar

knew nothing about it. Hallgerda said he was well fitted to be a

grieve. So Brynjolf came from the west, and Gunnar asked what he

was to do there? He said he was going to stay there.

“Thou wilt not better our household,” says Gunnar, “after what

has been told me of thee, but I will not turn away any of

Hallgerda’s kinsmen, whom she wishes to be with her.”

Gunnar said little, but was not unkind to him, and so things went

on till the Thing. Gunnar rides to the Thing and Kolskegg rides

too, and when they came to the Thing they and Njal met, for he

and his sons were at the Thing, and all went well with Gunnar and

them.

Bergthora said to Atli, “Go thou up into Thorolfsfell and work

there a week.”

So he went up thither, and was there on the sly, and burnt

charcoal in the wood.

Hallgerda said to Brynjolf, “I have been told Atli is not at

home, and he must be winning work on Thorolfsfell.”

“What thinkest thou likeliest that he is working at,” says he.

“At something in the wood,” she says.

“What shall I do to him?” he asks.

“Thou shalt kill him,” says she.

He was rather slow in answering her, and Hallgerda said, “‘Twould