Then Skeggi got at his axe and hewed at Grettir; when Grettir saw that, he caught the axe-handle with the left hand bladeward of Skeggi’s hand, so hard that straightway was the axe loosed from his hold.  Then Grettir drave that same axe into his head so that it stood in the brain, and the house-carle fell dead to earth.  Then Grettir seized the meal-bag and threw it across his saddle, and thereon rode after his fellows.

Now Thorkel rode ahead of all, for he had no misgiving of such things befalling:  but men missed Skeggi from the company, and when Grettir came up they asked him what he knew of Skeggi; then he sang—­

  “A rock-troll her weight did throw
  At Skeggi’s throat a while ago: 
  Over the battle ogress ran
  The red blood of the serving-man;
  Her deadly iron mouth did gape
  Above him, till clean out of shape
  She tore his head and let out life: 
  And certainly I saw their strife.”

Then Thorkel’s men sprung up and said that surely trolls had not taken the man in broad daylight.  Thorkel grew silent, but said presently, “The matter is likely to be quite other than this; methinks Grettir has in all likelihood killed him, or what could befall?”

Then Grettir told all their strife.  Thorkel says, “This has come to pass most unluckily, for Skeggi was given to my following, and was, nathless, a man of good kin; but I shall deal thus with the matter:  I shall give boot for the man as the doom goes, but the outlawry I may not settle.  Now, two things thou hast to choose between, Grettir; whether thou wilt rather go to the Thing and risk the turn of matters, or go back home.”

Grettir chose to go to the Thing, and thither he went.  But a lawsuit was set on foot by the heirs of the slain man:  Thorkel gave handsel, and paid up all fines, but Grettir must needs be outlawed, and keep abroad three winters.

Now when the chiefs rode from the Thing, they baited under Sledgehill before they parted:  then Grettir lifted a stone which now lies there in the grass and is called Grettir’s-heave; but many men came up to see the stone, and found it a great wonder that so young a man should heave aloft such a huge rock.

Now Grettir rode home to Biarg and tells the tale of his journey; Asmund let out little thereon, but said that he would turn out an unruly man.

CHAP.  XVII.

Of Grettir’s voyage out.

There was a man called Haflidi, who dwelt at Reydarfell in Whiteriverside, he was a seafaring man and had a sailing ship, which lay up Whiteriver:  there was a man on board his ship, hight Bard, who had a wife with him young and fair.  Asmund sent a man to Haflidi, praying him to take Grettir and look after him; Haflidi said that he had heard that the man was ill ruled of mood; yet for the sake of the friendship between him and Asmund he took Grettir to himself, and made ready for sailing abroad.