Now the brothers came up and leaped off their horses. Atli welcomed
them, and asked for tidings: "Perchance, Gunnar, thou wilt give me
some atonement for my house-carle."

Gunnar answered, "Something else is your due, men of Biarg, than that
I should lay down aught good therefor; yea, atonement is due withal
for the slaying of Thorbiorn, whom Grettir slew."

"It is not for me to answer thereto," said Atli; "nor art thou a
suitor in that case."

Gunnar said he would stand in that stead none-the-less. "Come, let us
set on them, and make much of it, that Grettir is not nigh them now."

Then they ran at Atli, eight of them altogether, but Atli and his folk
were six.

Atli went before his men, and drew the sword, Jokul's gift, which
Grettir had given him.

Then said Thorgeir, "Many like ways have those who deem themselves
good; high aloft did Grettir bear his short-sword last summer on the
Ramfirth-neck."

Atli answered, "Yea, he is more wont to deal in great deeds than I."

Thereafter they fought; Gunnar set on Atli exceeding fiercely, and was
of the maddest; and when they had fought awhile, Atli said,