Now Grettir went one night away from the wolds, but he would not that the chapmen should be ware of his ways; he got a black cape, and threw it over his clothes, and so was disguised; he went up past Thingness, and so up to Bank, and by then it was daylight.  He saw a black horse in the homefield and went up to it, and laid bridle on it, leapt on the back of it, and rode up along Whiteriver, and below Bye up to Flokedale-river, and then up the tracks above Kalfness; the workmen at Bank got up now and told the bonder of the man who had got on his mare; he got up and laughed, and sang—­

  “One that helm-fire well can wield
  Rode off from my well-fenced field,
  Helm-stalk stole away from me
  Saddle-fair, the swift to see;
  Certes, more great deeds this Frey
  Yet shall do in such-like way
  As this was done; I deem him then
  Most overbold and rash of men.”

Then he took horse and rode after him; Grettir rode on till he came up to the homestead at Kropp; there he met a man called Hall, who said that he was going down to the ship at the Wolds; Grettir sang a stave—­

  “In broad-peopled lands say thou
  That thou sawest even now
  Unto Kropp-farm’s gate anigh,
  Saddle-fair and Elm-stalk high;
  That thou sawest stiff on steed
  (Get thee gone at greatest speed),
  One who loveth game and play
  Clad in cape of black to-day.”

Then they part, and Hall went down the track and all the way down to Kalfness, before Svein met him; they greeted one another hastily, then sang Svein—­

  “Sawest thou him who did me harm
  On my horse by yonder farm? 
  Even such an one was he,
  Sluggish yet a thief to see;
  From the neighbours presently
  Doom of thief shall he abye
  And a blue skin shall he wear,
  If his back I come anear.”

“That thou mayst yet do,” said Hall, “I saw that man who said that he rode on Saddle-fair, and bade me tell it over the peopled lands and settlements; great of growth he was, and was clad in a black cape.”

“He deems he has something to fall back on,” said the bonder, “but I shall ride after him and find out who he is.”

Now Grettir came to Deildar-Tongue, and there was a woman without the door; Grettir went up to talk to her, and sang this stave—­

  “Say to guard of deep-sea’s flame
  That here worm-land’s haunter came;
  Well-born goddess of red gold,
  Thus let gamesome rhyme be told. 
  ’Giver forth of Odin’s mead
  Of thy black mare have I need;
  For to Gilsbank will I ride,
  Meed of my rash words to bide.’”

The woman learned this song, and thereafter Grettir rode on his way; Svein came there a little after, and she was not yet gone in, and as he came he sang this—­

  “What foreteller of spear-shower
  E’en within this nigh-passed hour,
  Swift through the rough weather rode
  Past the gate of this abode? 
  He, the hound-eyed reckless one,
  By all good deeds left alone,
  Surely long upon this day
  From my hands will flee away.”