himself was wondrous great to behold, even as a troll; now those first
comers were exceeding amazed at him, and deemed he must be some evil
wight; they smote at him with all things they might lay hold of, and
mighty din went on around them; but Grettir put off all blows strongly
with his arms, then some smote him with fire-brands, and the fire
burst off over all the house, and therewith he got off with the fire
and fared back again to his fellows.

They mightily praised his journey and the prowess of it, and said
that his like would never be. And now the night wore, and they deemed
themselves happy in that they had got the fire.

The next morning the weather was fair; the chapmen woke early and got
them ready to depart, and they talked together that now they should
meet those who had had the rule of that fire, and wot who they were.

Now they unmoored their ship, and crossed over the sound; there they
found no hall, but saw a great heap of ashes, and found therein many
bones of men; then they deemed that this house of refuge had been
utterly burned up, with all those men who had been therein.

Thereat they asked if Grettir had brought about that ill-hap, and said
that it was the greatest misdeed.

Grettir said, that now had come to pass even as he had misdoubted,
that they should reward him ill for the fetching of the fire, and that
it was ill to help unmanly men.

Grettir got such hurt of this, that the chapmen said, wheresoever they
came, that Grettir had burned those men. The news soon got abroad that