said to him, "Go the pack-saddle bands well," says Atli.
"That's no business of thine, worthless fellow, nor of any one else whence thou comest."
Atli said, "Thou hast something behind that is earnest work, but that is to die."
After that Atli thrust at him with his spear, and struck him about his middle. Kol swept at him with his axe, but missed him, and fell off his horse, and died at once.
Atli rode till he met some of Hallgerda's workmen, and said, "Go ye up to the horse yonder, and look to Kol, for he has fallen off, and is dead."
"Hast thou slain him?" say they.
"Well, 'twill seem to Hallgerda as though he has not fallen by his own hand."
After that Atli rode home and told Bergthora; she thanked him for this deed, and for the words which he had spoken about it.
"I do not know," says he, "what Njal will think of this."
"He will take it well upon his hands," she says, "and I will tell thee one thing as a token of it, that he has carried away with him to the Thing the price of that thrall which we took last spring, and that money will now serve for Kol; but though peace be made thou must still be ware of thyself, for Hallgerda will keep no peace."
"Wilt thou send at all a man to Njal to tell him of the slaying?"
"I will not," she says, "I should like it better that Kol were unatoned."
Then they stopped talking about it.
Hallgerda was told of Kol's slaying, and of the words that Atli had said. She said Atli should be paid off for them. She sent a man to the Thing to tell Gunnar of Kol's slaying; he answered little or nothing, and sent a man to tell Njal. He too made no answer, but Skarphedinn said, "Thralls are men of more mettle than of yore; they used to fly at each other and fight, and no one thought much harm of that; but now they will do naught but kill," and as he said this he smiled.
Njal pulled down the purse of money which hung up in the booth, and went out: his sons went with him to Gunnar's booth.
Skarphedinn said to a man who was in the doorway of the booth,
"Say thou to Gunnar that my father wants to see him."
He did so, and Gunnar went out at once and gave Njal a hearty welcome. After that they began to talk.
"'Tis ill done," says Njal, "that my housewife should have broken the peace, and let thy house-carle be slain."
"She shall not have blame for that," says Gunnar.
"Settle the award thyself," says Njal.
"So I will do," says Gunnar, "and I value those two men at an even price, Swart and Kol. Thou shalt pay me twelve ounces in silver."
Njal took the purse of money and handed it to Gunnar. Gunnar knew the money, and saw it was the same that he had paid Njal. Njal went away to his booth, and they were just as good friends as before. When Njal came home, he blamed Bergthora; but she said she would never give way to Hallgerda. Hallgerda was very cross with Gunnar, because he had made peace for Kol's slaying. Gunnar told her he would never break with Njal or his sons, and she flew into a great rage; but Gunnar took no heed of that, and so they sat for that year, and nothing noteworthy happened.
38. THE KILLING OF ATLI THE THRALL
Next spring Njal said to Atli, "I wish that thou wouldst change thy abode to the east firths, so that Hallgerda may not put an end to thy life?"
"I am not afraid of that," says Atli, "and I will willingly stay at home if I have the choice."
"Still that is less wise," says Njal.
"I think it better to lose my life in thy house than to change my master; but this I will beg of thee, if I am slain, that a thrall's price shall not be paid for me."
"Thou shalt be atoned for as a free man; but perhaps Bergthora will make thee a promise which she will fulfil, that revenge, man for man, shall be taken for thee."
Then he made up his mind to be a hired servant there.
Now it must be told of Hallgerda that she sent a man west to Bearfirth, to fetch Brynjolf the Unruly, her kinsman. He was a base son of Swan, and he was one of the worst of men. Gunnar knew nothing about it. Hallgerda said he was well fitted to be a grieve. So Brynjolf came from the west, and Gunnar asked what he was to do there? He said he was going to stay there.
"Thou wilt not better our household," says Gunnar, "after what has been told me of thee, but I will not turn away any of Hallgerda's kinsmen, whom she wishes to be with her."
Gunnar said little, but was not unkind to him, and so things went on till the Thing. Gunnar rides to the Thing and Kolskegg rides too, and when they came to the Thing they and Njal met, for he and his sons were at the Thing, and all went well with Gunnar and them.
Bergthora said to Atli, "Go thou up into Thorolfsfell and work there a week."
So he went up thither, and was there on the sly, and burnt charcoal in the wood.
Hallgerda said to Brynjolf, "I have been told Atli is not at home, and he must be winning work on Thorolfsfell."
"What thinkest thou likeliest that he is working at," says he.
"At something in the wood," she says.
"What shall I do to him?" he asks.
"Thou shalt kill him," says she.
He was rather slow in answering her, and Hallgerda said, "'Twould grow less in Thiostolf's eyes to kill Atli if he were alive."
"Thou shalt have no need to goad me on much more," he says, and then he seized his weapons, and takes his horse and mounts, and rides to Thorolfsfell. There he saw a great reek of coalsmoke east of the homestead, so he rides thither, and gets off his horse and ties him up, but he goes where the smoke was thickest. Then he sees where the charcoal pit is, and a man stands by it. He saw that he had thrust his spear in the ground by him. Brynjolf goes along with the smoke right up to him, but he was eager at his work, and saw him not. Brynjolf gave him a stroke on the head with his axe, and he turned so quick round that Brynjolf loosed his hold of the axe, and Atli grasped the spear, and hurled it after him. Then Brynjolf cast himself down on the ground, but the spear flew away over him.
"Lucky for thee that I was not ready for thee," says Atli, "but now Hallgerda will be well pleased, for thou wilt tell her of my death; but it is a comfort to know that thou wilt have the same fate soon; but come now take thy axe which has been here."
He answered him never a word, nor did he take the axe before he was dead. Then he rode up to the house on Thorolfsfell, and told of the slaying, and after that rode home and told Hallgerda. She sent men to Bergthorsknoll, and let them tell Bergthora that now Kol's slaying was paid for.
After that Hallgerda sent a man to the Thing to tell Gunnar of
Atli's killing.
Gunnar stood up, and Kolskegg with him, and Kolskegg said,
"Unthrifty will Hallgerda's kinsmen be to thee."
Then they go to see Njal, and Gunnar
