“Are there any stout champions left in Reykiardale?’ he will ask.  ‘Thieves and scoundrels,’ thou shalt answer.  Then Hrut will smile and think it sport to listen.  You two will go on to talk of the men in the Eastfirth Quarter, and thou must always find something to say against them.  At last your talk will come to Rangrivervale, and then thou must say, there is small choice of men left in those parts since Fiddle Mord died.  At the same time sing some stave to please Hrut, for I know thou art a skald.  Hrut will ask what makes thee say there is never a man to come in Mord’s place; and then thou must answer, that he was so wise a man and so good a taker up of suits, that he never made a false step in upholding his leadership.  He will ask—­’Dost thou know how matters fared between me and him?’

“‘I know all about it,’ thou must reply, ’he took thy wife from thee, and thou hadst not a word to say.’

“Then Hrut will ask—­’Dost thou not think it was some disgrace to him when he could not get back his goods, though he set the suit on foot?’

“‘I can answer thee that well enough,’ thou must say, ’Thou challengedst him to single combat; but he was old, and so his friends advised him not to fight with thee, and then they let the suit fall to the ground.’

“’True enough,” Hrut will say.  ’I said so, and that passed for law among foolish men; but the suit might have been taken up again at another Thing if he had the heart.’

“‘I know all that,’ thou must say.

“Then he will ask—­’Dost thou know anything about law?”

“‘Up in the North I am thought to know something about it,’ thou shalt say.  ’But still I should like thee to tell me how this suit should be taken up.’

“‘What suit dost thou mean?’ he will ask.

“‘A suit,’ thou must answer, ’which does not concern me.  I want to know how a man must set to work who wishes to get back Unna’s dower.’

“Then Hrut will say—­’In this suit I must be summoned so that I can hear the summons, or I must be summoned here in my lawful house’.

“‘Recite the summons, then,’ thou must say, and I will say it after thee.’

“Then Hrut will summon himself; and mind and pay great heed to every word he says.  After that Hrut will bid thee repeat the summons, and thou must do so, and say it all wrong, so that no more than every other word is right.

“Then Hrut will smile and not mistrust thee, but say that scarce a word is right.  Thou must throw the blame on thy companions, and say they put thee out, and then thou must ask him to say the words first, word by word, and to let thee say the words after him.  He will give thee leave, and summon himself in the suit, and thou shalt summon after him there and then, and this time say every word right.  When it is done, ask Hrut if that were rightly summoned, and he will answer ’there is no flaw to be found in it’.  Then thou shalt say in a loud voice, so that thy companions may hear—­