Автор литература - Njal's Saga

rid of the spear before his fellows drew him off it, and carried

him away on their shields, and laid him down in a dell.

There was a man who ran up to Kari’s side, and meant to cut off

his leg, but Bjorn cut off that man’s arm, and sprang back again

behind Kari, and they could not do him any hurt. Kari made a

sweep at that same man with his sword, and cut him asunder at the

waist.

Then Lambi Sigfus’ son rushed at Kari, and hewed at him with his

sword. Kari caught the blow sideways on his shield, and the

sword would not bite; then Kari thrust at Lambi with his sword

just below the breast, so that the point came out between his

shoulders, and that was his deathblow.

Then Thorstein Geirleif’s son rushed at Kari, and thought to take

him in flank, but Kari caught sight of him, and swept at him with

his sword across the shoulders, so that the man was cleft asunder

at the chine.

A little while after he gave Gunnar of Skal, a good man and true,

his deathblow. As for Bjorn, he had wounded three men who had

tried to give Kari wounds, and yet he was never so far forward

that he was in the least danger, nor was he wounded, nor was

either of those companions hurt in that fight, but all those that

got away were wounded.

Then they ran for their horses, and galloped them off across

Skaptarwater as hard as they could, and they were so scared that

they stopped at no house, nor did they dare to stay and tell the

tidings anywhere.

Kari and Bjorn hooted and shouted after them as they galloped

off. So they rode east to Woodcombe, and did not draw bridle

till they came to Swinefell.

Flosi was not at home when they came thither, and that was why no

hue and cry was made thence after Kari.

This journey of theirs was thought most shameful by all men.

Kari rode to Skal, and gave notice of these manslayings as done

by his hand; there, too, he told them of the death of their

master and five others, and of Grani’s wound, and said it would

be better to bear him to the house if he were to live.

Bjorn said he could not bear to slay him, though he said he was

worthy of death; but those who answered him said they were sure

few had bitten the dust before him. But Bjorn told them he had

it now in his power to make as many of the Sidemen as he chose

bite the dust; to which they said it was a bad look out.

Then Kari and Bjorn ride away from the house.

150. MORE OF KARI AND BJORN

Then Kari asked Bjorn, “What counsel shall we take now? Now I

will try what thy wit is worth.”

“Dost thou think now,” answered Bjorn, “that much lies on our

being as wise as ever we can?”

“Ay,” said Kari, “I think so surely.”

“Then our counsel is soon taken,” says Bjorn. “We will cheat

them all as though they were giants; and now we will make as

though we were riding north on the fell, but as soon as ever we

are out of sight behind the brae, we will turn down along

Skaptarwater, and hide us there where we think handiest, so long

as the hue and cry is hottest, if they ride after us.”

“So will we do,” said Kari; “and this I had meant to do all

along.”

“And so you may put it to the proof,” said Bjorn, “that I am no

more of an everyday body in wit than I am in bravery.”

Now Kari and his companion rode as they had purposed down along

Skaptarwater, till they came where a branch of the stream ran

away to the southeast; then they turned down along the middle

branch, and did not draw bridle till they came into Middleland,

and on that moor which is called Kringlemire; it has a stream of

lava all around it.

Then Kari said to Bjorn that he must watch their horses, and keep

a good look-out; “But as for me,” he says, “I am heavy with

sleep.”

So Bjorn watched the horses, but Kari lay him down, and slept but

a very short while ere Bjorn waked him up again, and he had

already led their horses together, and they were by their side.

Then Bjorn said to Kari, “Thou standest in much need of me

though! A man might easily have run away from thee if he had not

been as brave-hearted as I am; for now thy foes are riding upon

thee, and so thou must up and be doing.”

Then Kari went away under a jutting crag, and Bjorn said, “Where

shall I stand now?”

“Well!” answers Kari, “now there are two choices before thee; one

is, that thou standest at my back and have my shield to cover

thyself with, if it can be of any use to thee; and the other is,

to get on thy horse and ride away as fast as thou canst.”

“Nay,” says Bjorn, “I will not do that, and there are many things

against it; first of all, may be, if I ride away, some spiteful

tongues might begin to say that I ran away from thee for faintheartedness; and another thing is, that I well know what game

they will think there is in me, and so they will ride after me,

two or three of them, and then I should be of no use or help to

thee after all. No! I will rather stand by thee and keep them

off so long as it is fated.”

Then they had not long to wait ere horses with packsaddles were

driven by them over the moor, and with them went three men.

Then Kari said, “These men see us not.”

“Then let us suffer them to ride on,” said Bjorn.

So those three rode on past them; but the six others then came

riding right up to them, and they all leapt off their horses

straightway in a body, and turned on Kari and his companion.

First, Glum Hildir’s son rushed at them, and thrust at Kari with

a spear; Kari turned short round on his heel, and Glum missed

him, and the blow fell against the rock. Bjorn sees that and

hewed at once the head off Glum’s spear. Kari leant on one side

and smote at Glum with his sword, and the blow fell on his thigh,

and took off the limb high up in the thigh, and Glum died at

once.

Then Vebrand and Asbrand the sons of Thorbrand ran up to Kari,

but Kari flew at Vebrand and thrust his sword through him, but

afterwards he hewed off both of Asbrand’s feet from under him.

In this bout both Kari and Bjorn were wounded.

Then Kettle of the Mark rushed at Kari, and thrust at him with

his spear. Kari threw up his leg, and the spear stuck in the

ground, and Kari leapt on the spear-shaft, and snapped it in

sunder.

Then Kari grasped Kettle in his arms, and Bjorn ran up just then,

and wanted to slay him, but Kari said, “Be still now. I will

give Kettle peace; for though it may be that Kettle’s life is in

my power, still I will never slay him.”

Kettle answers never a word, but rode away after his companions,

and told those the tidings who did not know them already.

They told also these tidings to the men of the Hundred, and they

gathered together at once a great force of armed men, and went

straightway up all the water-courses, and so far up on the fell

that they were three days in the chase; but after that they

turned back to their own homes, but Kettle and his companions

rode east to Swinefell, and told the tidings these.

Flosi was little stirred at what had befallen them, but said, “No

one could tell whether things would stop there, for there is no

man like Kari of all that are now left in Iceland.”

151. OF KARI AND BJORN AND THORGEIR

Now we must tell of Bjorn and Kari that they ride down on the

Sand, and lead their horses under the banks where the wild oats