Now Grim thought that no better chance would happen, so he made a great noise, that Grettir might chide him, therefore, if he were awake, but that befell not.  Now he thought that Grettir must surely be asleep, so he went stealthily up to the bed and reached out for the short-sword, and took it down, and unsheathed it.  But even therewith Grettir sprang up on to the floor, and caught the short-sword just as the other raised it aloft, and laid the other hand on Grim betwixt the shoulders, and cast him down with such a fall, that he was well-nigh stunned; “Ah, such hast thou shown thyself,” said he, “though thou wouldest give me good hope of thee.”  Then he had a true story from him, and thereafter slew him.

And now Grettir deemed he saw what it was to take in wood-folk, and so the winter wore; and nothing Grettir thought to be of more trouble than his dread of the dark.

CHAP.  LVI.

Of Grettir and Thorir Redbeard.

Now Thorir of Garth heard where Grettir had set himself down, and was fain to set afoot some plot whereby he might be slain.  There was a man called Thorir Redbeard; he was the biggest of men, and a great man-slayer, and therefore was he made outlaw throughout the land.  Thorir of Garth sent word to him, and when they met he bade him go on an errand of his, and slay Grettir the Strong.  Redbeard said that was no easy task, and that Grettir was a wise man and a wary.

Thorir bade him make up his mind to this; “A manly task it is for so brisk a fellow as thou; but I shall bring thee out of thine outlawry, and therewithal give thee money enough.”

So by that counsel Redbeard abode, and Thorir told him how he should go about the winning of Grettir.  So thereafter he went round the land by the east, for thus he deemed his faring would be the less misdoubted; so he came to Ernewaterheath when Grettir had been there a winter.  But when he met Grettir, he prayed for winter dwelling at his hands.

Grettir answered, “I cannot suffer you often to play the like play with me that he did who came here last autumn, who bepraised me cunningly, and when he had been here a little while lay in wait for my life; now, therefore, I have no mind to run the risk any more of the taking in of wood-folk.”

Thorir answered, “My mind goes fully with thine in that thou deemest ill of outlawed men:  and thou wilt have heard tell of me as of a man-slayer and a misdoer, but not as of a doer of such foul deeds as to betray my master.  Now, ill it is ill to be, for many deem others to do after their own ways; nor should I have been minded to come hither, if I might have had a choice of better things; withal I deem we shall not easily be won while we stand together; thou mightest risk trying at first how thou likest me, and let me go my ways whenso thou markest ill faith in me.”

Grettir answered, “Once more then will I risk it, even with thee; but wot thou well, that if I misdoubt me of thee, that will be thy bane.”