Автор литература - Njal's Saga

and it fell on his left side, and passed through the shield just

below the handle, and clove it all asunder, but the spear passed

on into his thigh just above the knee-pan, and so on into the

saddle-tree, and there stood fast.

Then Flosi said to Ingialld, “Did it touch thee?

“It touched me sure enough,” says Ingialld, “but I call this a

scratch and not a wound.”

Then Ingialld plucked the spear out of the wound, and said to

Flosi, “Now bide thou, if thou art not a milksop.”

Then he launched the spear back over the river. Flosi sees that

the spear is coming straight for his middle, and then he backs

his horse out of the way, but the spear flew in front of Flosi’s

horse, and missed him, but it struck Thorstein’s middle, and down

he fell at once dead off his horse.

Now Ingialld runs for the wood, and they could not get at him.

Then Flosi said to his men, “Now have we gotten manscathe, and

now we may know, when such things befall us, into what a luckless

state we have got. Now it is my counsel that we ride up to

Threecorner Ridge; thence we shall be able to see where men ride

all over the country, for by this time they will have gathered

together a great band, and they will think that we have ridden

east to Fleetlithe from Threecorner Ridge; and thence they will

think that we are riding north up on the fell, and so east to our

own country, and thither the greater part of the folk will ride

after us; but some will ride the coast road east to

Selialandsmull, and yet they will think there is less hope of

finding us thitherward, but I will now take counsel for all of

us, and my plan is to ride up into Threecorner-fell, and bide

there till three suns have risen and set in heaven.”

ENDNOTES:

(1) “Son of Gollnir,” Njal, who was the son of Thorgeir Gelling

or Gollnir.

(2) “My friends,” ironically of course.

130. OF KARI SOLMUND’S SON

Now it is to be told of Kari Solmund’s son that he fared away

from that hollow in which he had rested himself until he met

Bard, and those words passed between them which Geirmund had

told.

Thence Kari rode to Mord, and told him the tidings, and he was

greatly grieved.

Kari said there were other things more befitting a man than to

weep for them dead, and bade him rather gather folk and come to

Holtford.

After that he rode into Thursodale to Hjallti Skeggi’s son, and

as he went along Thurso water, he sees a man riding fast behind

him. Kari waited for the man, and knows that he was Ingialld of

the Springs. He sees that he is very bloody about the thigh; and

Kari asked Ingialld who had wounded him, and he told him.

“Where met ye two?” says Kari.

“By Rangwater side,” says Ingialld, “and he threw a spear over

at me.”

“Didst thou aught for it?” asks Kari.

“I threw the spear back,” says Ingialld, “and they said that it

met a man, and he was dead at once.”

“Knowest thou not,” said Kari, “who the man was?”

“Methought he was like Thorstein Flosi’s brother’s son,” says

Ingialld.

“Good luck go with thy hand,” says Kari.

After that they rode both together to see Hjallti Skeggi’s son,

and told him the tidings. He took these deeds ill, and said

there was the greatest need to ride after them and slay them all.

After that he gathered men and roused the whole country; now he

and Kari and Ingialld ride with this band to meet Mord Valgard’s

son, and they found him at Holtford, and Mord was there waiting

for them with a very great company. Then they parted the hue and

cry; some fared the straight road by the east coast to

Selialandsmull, but some went up to Fleetlithe, and other-some

the higher road thence to Threecorner Ridge, and so down into

Godaland. Thence they rode north to Sand. Some too rode as far

as Fishwaters, and there turned back. Some the coast road east

to Holt, and told Thorgeir the tidings, and asked whether they

had not ridden by there.

“This is how it is,” said Thorgeir, “though I am not a mighty

chief, yet Flosi would take other counsel than to ride under my

eyes, when he has slain Njal, my father’s brother, and my

cousins; and there is nothing left for any of you but e’en to

turn back again, for ye should have hunted longer nearer home;

but tell this to Kari, that he must ride hither to me and be here

with me if he will; but though he will not come hither east,

still I will look after his farm at Dyrholms if he will, but tell

him too that I will stand by him and ride with him to the

Althing. And he shall also know this, that we brothers are the

next of kin to follow up the feud, and we mean so to take up the

suit, that outlawry shall follow and after that revenge, man for

man, if we can bring it about; but I do not go with you now,

because I know naught will come of it, and they will now be as

wary as they can of themselves.”

Now they ride back, and all met at Hof and talked there among

themselves, and said that they had gotten disgrace since they had

not found them. Alord said that was not so. Then many men were

eager that they should fare to Fleetlithe, and pull down the

homesteads of all those who had been at those deeds, but still

they listened for Mord’s utterance.

“That,” he said, “would be the greatest folly.” They asked why

he said that.

“Because,” he said, “if their houses stand, they will be sure to

visit them to see their wives; and then, as time rolls on, we may

hunt them down there; and now ye shall none of you doubt that I

will be true to thee Kari, and to all of you, and in all counsel,

for I have to answer for myself.”

Hjallti bade him do as he said. Then Hjallti bade Kari to come

and stay with him, he said he would ride thither first. They

told him what Thorgeir had offered him, and he said he would make

use of that offer afterwards, but said his heart told him it

would be well if there were many such.

After that the whole band broke up.

Flosi and his men saw all these tidings from where they were on

the fell; and Flosi said, “Now we will take our horses and ride

away, for now it will be some good.”

The sons of Sigfus asked whether it would be worth while to get

to their homes and tell the news.

“It must be Mord’s meaning,” says Flosi, “that ye will visit your

wives; and my guess is, that his plan is to let your houses stand

unsacked; but my plan is that not a man shall part from the

other, but all ride east with me.”

So every man took that counsel, and then they all rode east and

north of the Jokul, and so on till they came to Swinefell.

Flosi sent at once men out to get in stores, so that nothing

might fall short.

Folsi never spoke about the deed, but no fear was found in him,

and he was at home the whole winter till Yule was over.

131. NJAL’S AND BERGTHORA’S BONES FOUND

Kari bade Hjallti to go and search for Njal’s bones, “For all

will believe in what thou sayest and thinkest about them.”

Hjallti said he would be most willing to bear Njal’s bones to

church; so they rode thence fifteen men. They rode east over

Thursowater, and called on men there to come with them till they

had one hundred men, reckoning Njal’s neighbours.

They came to Bergthorsknoll at mid-day.

Hjallti asked Kari under what part of the house Njal might be