Everything in their way was kicked out of place, the barrow-wight setting on with hideous eagerness; Grettir gave back before him for a long time, till at last it came to this, that he saw it would not do to hoard his strength any more; now neither spared the other, and they were brought to where the horse-bones were, and thereabout they wrestled long.  And now one, now the other, fell on his knee; but the end of the strife was, that the barrow-dweller fell over on his back with huge din.  Then ran Audun from the holding of the rope, and deemed Grettir dead.  But Grettir drew the sword, ‘Jokul’s gift,’ and drave it at the neck of the barrow-bider so that it took off his head, and Grettir laid it at the thigh of him.[9] Then he went to the rope with the treasure, and lo, Audun was clean gone, so he had to get up the rope by his hands; he had tied a line to the treasure, and therewith he now haled it up.

[Footnote 9:  The old belief was that by this means only could a ghost be laid.]

Grettir had got very stiff with his dealings with Karr, and now he went back to Thorfinn’s house with the treasures, whenas all folk had set them down to table.  Thorfinn gave Grettir a sharp look when he came into the drinking-hall, and asked him what work he had on hand so needful to do that he might not keep times of meals with other men.  Grettir answers, “Many little matters will hap on late eves,” and therewith he cast down on the table all the treasure he had taken in the barrow; but one matter there was thereof, on which he must needs keep his eyes; this was a short-sword, so good a weapon, that a better, he said, he had never seen; and this he gave up the last of all.  Thorfinn was blithe to see that sword, for it was an heirloom of his house, and had never yet gone out of his kin.

“Whence came these treasures to thine hand?” said Thorfinn.

Grettir sang—­

  “Lessener of the flame of sea,
  My strong hope was true to me,
  When I deemed that treasure lay
  In the barrow; from to-day
  Folk shall know that I was right;
  The begetters of the fight
  Small joy now shall have therein,
  Seeking dragon’s-lair to win.”

Thorfinn answered, “Blood will seldom seem blood to thine eyes; no man before thee has had will to break open the barrow; but, because I know that what wealth soever is hid in earth or borne into barrow is wrongly placed, I shall not hold thee blameworthy for thy deed as thou hast brought it all to me; yea, or whence didst thou get the good sword?”

Grettir answered and sang—­

  “Lessener of waves flashing flame,
  To my lucky hand this came
  In the barrow where that thing
  Through the dark fell clattering;
  If that helm-fire I should gain,
  Made so fair to be the bane
  Of the breakers of the bow,
  Ne’er from my hand should it go.”

Thorfinn said, “Well hast thou prayed for it, but thou must show some deed of fame before I give thee that sword, for never could I get it of my father while he lived.”