CHAP. XX.

How Thorfinn met Grettir at Haramsey again.


After Yule Thorfinn made ready for coming home, and he let those folk
go with good gifts whom he had bidden to his feast. Now he fares with
his following till he comes hard by his boat-stands; they saw a ship
lying on the strand, and soon knew it for Thorfinn's bark, the big
one. Now Thorfinn had as yet had no news of the vikings, he bade his
men hasten landward, "For I fear," said he, "that friends have not
been at work here."

Thorfinn was the first to step ashore before his men, and forthwith he
went up to the boat-stand; he saw a keel standing there, and knew it
for the bearserks' ship. Then he said to his men, "My mind misgives
me much that here things have come to pass, even such as I would have
given the whole island, yea, every whit of what I have herein, that
they might never have happed."

They asked why he spake thus. Then he said, "Here have come the
vikings, whom I know to be the worst of all Norway, Thorir Paunch
and Ogmund the Evil; in good sooth they will hardly have kept house
happily for us, and in an Icelander I have but little trust."

Withal he spoke many things hereabout to his fellows.

Now Grettir was at home, and so brought it about, that folk were slow
to go down to the shore; and said he did not care much if the goodman