CHAPTER TWELVE
Bersi's Bad Luck At The Thor's-Ness Thing.

In the winter, sports were held at Saurbae. Bersi's lad, Asmund,
was there, and likewise the sons of Thord; but they were younger
than he, and nothing like so sturdy. When they wrestled Asmund
took no heed to stint his strength, and the sons of Thord often
came home blue and bleeding. Their mother Thordis was ill
pleased, and asked her husband would he give Bersi a hint to make
it up on behalf of his son. Nay, Thord answered, he was loath to
do that.

"Then I'll find my brother Bork," said she, "and it will be just
as bad in the end."

Thord bade her do no such thing. "I would rather talk it over
with him," said he; and so, at her wish, he met Bersi, and hinted
that some amends were owing.

Said Bersi, "Thou art far too greedy of getting, nowadays. This
kind of thing will end in losing thee thy good name. Thou wilt
never want while anything is to be got here."

Thord went home, and there was a coolness between them while that
winter lasted.

Spring slipped by, until it was time for the meeting at Thor's-
ness. By then, Bersi thought he saw through this claim of
Thord's, and found Thordis at the bottom of it. For all that, he