“Grettir, stand up from thy grave,
  In the trough of the grey wave
  The keel labours, tell my say
  Now unto thy merry may;
  From thy hands the linen-clad
  Fill of sewing now has had,
  Till we make the land will she
  Deem that labour fitteth thee.”

Then Grettir stood up and sang—­

  “Stand we up, for neath us now
  Rides the black ship high enow;
  This fair wife will like it ill
  If my limbs are laid here still;
  Certes, the white trothful one
  Will not deem the deed well done,
  If the work that I should share
  Other folk must ever bear.”

Then he ran aft to where they were baling, and asked what they would he should do; they said he would do mighty little good.

“Well,” said he, “ye may yet be apaid of a man’s aid.”

Haflidi bade them not set aside his help, “For it may be he shall deem his hands freed if he offers his aid.”

At that time pumping was not used in ships that fared over the main; the manner of baling they used men called tub or cask baling, and a wet work it was and a wearisome; two balers were used, and one went down while the other came up.  Now the chapmen bade Grettir have the job of sinking the balers, and said that now it should be tried what he could do; he said that the less it was tried the better it would be.  But he goes down and sinks the balers, and now two were got to bale against him; they held out but a little while before they were overcome with weariness, and then four came forward and soon fared in likewise, and, so say some, that eight baled against him before the baling was done and the ship was made dry.  Thenceforth the manner of the chapmen’s words to Grettir was much changed, for they saw what strength he had to fall back upon; and from that time he was the stoutest and readiest to help, wheresoever need was.

Now they bore off east into the main, and much thick weather they had, and one night unawares they ran suddenly on a rock, so that the nether part of the ship went from under her; then the boat was run down, and women and all the loose goods were brought off:  nearby was a little holm whither they brought their matters as they best could in the night; but when it began to dawn they had a talk as to where they were come; then they who had fared between lands before knew the land for Southmere in Norway; there was an island hardby called Haramsey; many folk dwelt there, and therein too was the manor of a lord.

CHAP.  XVIII.

Of Grettir at Haramsey and his dealings with Karr the Old.

Now the lord who dwelt in the island was called Thorfinn; he was the son of Karr the Old, who had dwelt there long; and Thorfinn was a great chief.

But when day was fully come men saw from the island that the chapmen were brought to great straits.  This was made known to Thorfinn, and he quickly bestirred himself, and had a large bark of his launched, rowed by sixteen men, on this bark were nigh thirty men in all; they came up speedily and saved the chapmen’s wares; but the ship settled down, and much goods were lost there.  Thorfinn brought all men from the ship home to himself, and they abode there a week and dried their wares.  Then the chapmen went south into the land, and are now out of the tale.