Sámr stendr upp ok ferr í klæði sín. Þeir ganga út ok ofan at Öxará, fyrir neðan brúna. Þar þvá þeir sér.
Þorbjörn mælti við Sám: "Þat er ráð mitt, at þú látir reka at hesta vára, ok búumst heim. Er nú sét, at oss vill ekki annat en svívirðing.
Sámr svarar: "Þat er vel, af því at þú vildir ekki annat en deila við Hrafnkel ok vildir eigi þá kosti þiggja, er margr myndi gjarna þegit hafa, sá er eftir sinn náunga átti at sjá. Frýðir þú oss mjök hugar ok öllum þeim, er í þetta mál vildu eigi ganga með þér. Skal ek nú ok aldri fyrr af láta en mér þykkir fyrir ván komit, at ek geta nökkut at gert."
Þá fær Þorbirni svá mjök, at hann grætr.
Þá sjá þeir vestan at ánni, hóti neðar en þeir sátu, hvar fimm menn gengu saman frá einni búð. Sá var hár maðr ok ekki þrekligr, er fyrstr gekk, í laufgrænum kyrtli ok hafði búit sverð í hendi, réttleitr maðr ok rauðlitaðr ok vel í yfirbragði, ljósjarpr á hár ok mjök hærðr. Sá maðr var auðkenniligr, því at hann hafði ljósan lepp í hári sínu inum vinstra megin.
Sámr mælti: "Stöndum upp ok göngum vestr yfir ána til móts við þessa menn."
Þeir ganga nú ofan með ánni, ok sá maðr, sem fyrir gekk, heilsar þeim fyrri ok spyrr, hverir þeir væri. Þeir sögðu til sín. Sámr spurði þenna mann at nafni, en hann nefndist Þorkell ok kvaðst vera Þjóstarsson. Sámr spurði, hvar hann væri ættaðr eða hvar hann ætti heima. Hann kvaðst vera vestfirzkr at kyni ok uppruna, en eiga heima í Þorskafirði.
Sámr mælti: "Hvárt ertu goðorðsmaðr?"
Hann kvað þat fjarri fara.
"Ertu þá bóndi?" sagði Sámr.
Hann kvaðst eigi þat vera.
Sámr mælti: "Hvat manna ertu þá?"
Hann svarar: "Ek em einn einhleypingr. Kom ek út í fyrra vetr. Hefi ek verit útan sjau vetr ok farit út í Miklagarð, en em handgenginn Garðskonunginum, en nú em ek á vist með bróður mínum, þeim er Þorgeirr heitir.
"Er hann goðorðsmaðr?" segir Sámr.
Þorkell svarar: "Goðorðsmaðr er hann víst um Þorskafjörð ok víðara um Vestfjörðu."
"Er hann hér á þinginu?" segir Sámr.
"Hér er hann víst."
"Hversu margmennr er hann?"
"Hann er við sjau tigu manna," segir Þorkell.
"Eru þér fleiri bræðrnir?" segir Sámr.
"Er inn þriði", segir Þorkell.
Hverr er sá?" segir Sámr.
"Hann heitir Þormóðr", segir Þorkell, "ok býr í Görðum á Álftanesi. Hann á Þórdísi, dóttur Þórólfs Skalla-Grímssonar frá Borg."
"Villtu nökkut liðsinni okkr veita?" segir Sámr.
"Hvers þurfið þit við?" segir Þorkell.
"Liðsinnis ok afla höfðingja", segir Sámr, "því at vit eigum málum at skipta við Hrafnkel goða um víg Einars Þorbjarnarsonar, en vit megum vel hlíta okkrum flutningi með þínu fulltingi."
Þorkell svarar: "Svá er sem ek sagða, at ek em engi goðorðsmaðr."
"Hví ertu svá afskipta gerr, þar sem þú ert höfðingjason sem aðrir bræðr þínir?"
Þorkell sagði: "Eigi sagða ek þér þat, at ek ætta þat eigi, en ek selda þat í hendr Þorgeiri, bróður mínum, mannaforráð mitt, áðr en ek fór útan. Síðan hefi ek eigi við tekit, fyrir því at mér þykkir vel komit, meðan hann varðveitir. Gangið þit á fund hans, biðið hann ásjá. Hann er skörungr í skapi ok drengr góðr ok í alla staði vel menntr, ungr maðr ok metnaðargjarn. Eru slíkir menn vænstir til at veita ykkr liðsinni.
Sámr segir: "Af honum munum vit ekki fá, nema þú sért í flutningi með okkr."
Þorkell segir: "Því mun ek heita at vera heldr með ykkr en móti, með því at mér þykkir ærin nauðsyn til at mæla eftir náskyldan mann. Farið þit nú fyrir til búðarinnar ok gangið inn í búðina. Er mannfólk í svefni. Þit munuð sjá, hvar standa innar um þvera búðina tvau húðföt, ok reis ek upp ór öðru, en í öðru hvílir Þorgeirr, bróðir minn. Hann hefir haft kveisu mikla í fætinum, síðan hann kom á þingit, ok því hefir hann lítit sofit um nætr. En nú sprakk fótrinn í nótt, ok er ór kveisunaglinn, en nú hefir hann sofnat síðan ok hefir réttan fótinn út undan fötunum fram á fótafjölina sakar ofrhita, er á er á fætinum. Gangi sá inn gamli maðr fyrir ok svá innar eftir búðinni. Mér sýnist hann mjök hrymðr bæði at sýn ok elli. Þá er þú, maðr", segir Þorkell, "kemr at húðfatinu, skaltu rasa mjök ok fall á fótafjölina ok tak í tána þá, er um er bundit, ok hnykk at þér ok vit, hversu hann verðr við."
Sámr mælti: "Heilráðr muntu okkr vera, en eigi sýnist mér þetta ráðligt."
Þorkell svarar: "Annathvárt verði þit at gera, at hafa þat, sem ek legg til, eða leita ekki ráða til mín."
Sámr mælti ok segir: "Svá skal gera sem hann gefr ráð til."
Þorkell kvaðst mundu ganga síðar, -- "því at ek bíð manna minna."
10. Þjóstarssynir hétu Sámi liðveizlu.
Ok nú gengu þeir Sámr ok Þorbjörn ok koma í búðina. Sváfu þar menn allir. Þeir sjá brátt, hvar Þorgeirr lá. Þorbjörn karl gekk fyrir ok fór mjök rasandi. En er hann kom at húðfatinu, þá fell hann á fótafjölina ok þrífr í tána, þá er vanmátta var, ok hnykkir at sér, en Þorgeirr vaknar við ok hljóp upp í húðfatinu ok spurði, hverr þar færi svá hrapalliga, at hlypi á fætr mönnum, er áðr váru vanmátta. En þeim Sámi varð ekki at orði.
Þá snaraði Þorkell inn í búðina ok mælti til Þorgeirs, bróður síns: "Ver eigi svá bráðr né óðr, frændi, um þetta, því at þik mun ekki saka. En mörgum tekst verr en vill, ok verðr þat mörgum, at þá fá eigi alls gætt jafnvel, er honum er mikit í skapi. En þat er várkunn, frændi, at þér sé sárr fótr þinn, er mikit mein hefir í verit. Muntu þess mest á þér kenna. Nú má ok þat vera, at gömlum manni sé eigi ósárari sonardauði sinn, en fá engar bætr ok skorti hvetvetna sjálfr. Mun hann þess gerst kenna á sér, ok er þat at vánum, at sá maðr gæti eigi alls vel, er mikit býr í skapi."
Þorgeirr segir: "Ekki hugða ek, at hann mætti mik þessa kunna, því at eigi drap ek son hans, ok má hann af því eigi á mér þessu hefna."
"Eigi vildi hann á þér þessu hefna", segir Þorkell, "en fór hann at þér harðara en hann vildi, ok galt hann óskygnleika síns, en vænti sér af þér nökkurs trausts. Er þat nú drengskapr at veita gömlum manni ok þurftugum. Er honum þetta nauðsyn, en eigi seiling, þó at hann mæli eftir son sinn, en nú ganga allir höfðingjar undan liðveizlu við þessa menn ok sýna í því mikinn ódrengskap."
Þorgeirr mælti: "Við hvern eiga þessir menn at kæra?"
Þorkell svaraði: "Hrafnkell goði hefir vegit son hans Þorbjarnar saklausan. Vinnr hann hvert óverk at öðru, en vill engum manni sóma vinna fyrir."
Þorgeirr mælti: "Svá mun mér fara sem öðrum, at ek veit eigi mik þessum mönnum svá gott eiga upp at inna, at ek vilja ganga í deilur við Hrafnkel. Þykkir mér hann einn veg fara hvert sumar við þá menn, sem málum eigu at skipta við hann, at flestir menn fá litla virðing eða enga, áðr lúki, ok sé ek þar fara einn veg öllum. Get ek af því flesta menn ófúsa til, þá sem engi nauðsyn dregr til."
Þorkell segir: "Þat má vera, at svá færi mér at, ef ek væri höfðingi, at mér þætti illt at deila við Hrafnkel. En eigi sýnist mér svá, fyrir því at mér þætti við þann bezt at eiga, er allir hrekjast fyrir áðr, ok þætti mér mikit vaxa mín virðing eða þess höfðingja, er á Hrafnkel gæti nökkura vík róit, en minnkast ekki, þó at mér færi sem öðrum, fyrir því at má mér þat, sem yfir margan gengr. Hefir sá ok jafnan, er hættir."
"Sé ek", segir Þorgeirr, "hversu þér er gefit, at þú villt veita þessum mönnum. Nú mun ek selja þér í hendr goðorð mitt ok mannaforráð, ok haf þú þat, sem ek hefi haft áðr, en þaðan af höfum vit jöfnuð af báðir, ok veittu þá þeim, er þú villt."
"Svá sýnist mér", segir Þorkell, "sem þá muni goðorð várt bezt komit, er þú hafir sem lengst. Ann ek engum svá vel sem þér at hafa, því at þú hefir marga hluti til menntar um fram alla oss bræðr, en ek óráðinn, hvat er ek vil af mér gera at bragði. En þú veizt, frændi, at ek hefi til fás hlutazt, síðan ek kom til Íslands. Má ek nú sjá, hvat mín ráð eru. Nú hefi ek flutt sem ek mun at sinni. Kann vera, at Þorkell leppr komi þar, at hans orð verði meir metin."
Þorgeirr segir: "Sé ek nú, hversu horfir, frændi, at þér mislíkar, en ek má þat eigi vita, ok munum vit fylgja þessum mönnum, hversu sem ferr, ef þú villt."
Þorkell mælti: "Þessa eins bið ek, at mér þykkir betr, at veitt sé."
"Til hvers þykkjast þessir menn færir", segir Þorgeirr, "svá at framkvæmð verði at þeira máli?"
"Svá er sem ek sagða í dag, at styrk þurfum vit af höfðingjum, en málaflutning á ek undir mér."
Þorgeirr kvað honum þá gott at duga, -- "ok er nú þat til, at búa mál til sem réttligast. En mér þykkir sem Þorkell vili, at þit vitið hans, áðr dómar fara út. Munuð þit þá hafa annathvárt fyrir ykkart þrá nökkura hugan eða læging enn meir en áðr ok hrelling ok skapraun. Gengið nú heim ok verið kátir, af því at þess munu þit við þurfa, ef þit skuluð deila við Hrafnkel, at þit berið ykkr vel upp um hríð, en segi þit engum manni, at vit höfum liðveizlu heitit ykkr."
Þá gengu þeir heim til búðar sinnar, váru þá einteitir. Menn undruðust þetta allir, hví þeir hefði svá skjótt skapskipti tekit, þar sem þeir váru óglaðir, er þeir fóru heiman.
11. Sámr gerði Hrafnkel sekan.
Nú sitja þeir, þar til er dómar fara út. Þá kveðr Sámr upp menn sína ok gengr til lögbergs. Var þar þá dómr settr. Sámr gekk djarfliga at dóminum. Hann hefr þegar upp váttnefnu ok sótti mál sitt at réttum landslögum á hendr Hrafnkeli goða, miskviðalaust með sköruligum flutningi. Þessu næst koma þeir Þjóstarssynir með mikla sveit manna. Allir menn vestan af landi veittu þeim lið, ok sýndist þat, at Þjóstarssynir váru menn vinsælir.
Sámr sótti málit í dóm, þangat til, er Hrafnkeli var boðit til varnar, nema sá maðr væri þar við staddr, er lögvörn vildi frammi hafa fyrir hann at réttu lögmáli. Rómr varð mikill at máli Sáms. Kvaðst engi vilja lögvörn fram bera fyrir Hrafnkel.
Menn hlupu til búðar Hrafnkels ok sögðu honum, hvat um var at vera. Hann veikst við skjótt ok kvaddi upp menn sína ok gekk til dóma, hugði, at þar myndi lítil vörn fyrir landi. Hafði hann þat í hug sér at leiða smámönnum at sækja mál á hendr honum. Ætlaði hann at hleypa upp dóminum fyrir Sámi ok hrekja hann af málinu. En þess var nú eigi kostr. Þar var fyrir sá mannfjölði, at Hrafnkell komst hvergi nær. Var honum þröngt frá í burtu með miklu ofríki, svá at hann náði eigi at heyra mál þeira, er hann sóttu. Var honum því óhægt at færa lögvörn fram fyrir sik. En Sámr sótti málit til fullra laga, til þess er Hrafnkell var alsekr á þessu þingi.
Hrafnkell gengr þegar til búðar ok lætr taka hesta sína ok ríðr á brott af þingi ok unði illa við sínar málalykðir, því at hann átti aldri fyrr slíkar. Ríðr hann þá austr Lyngdalsheiði ok svá austr á Síðu, ok eigi léttir hann fyrr en heima í Hrafnkelsdal ok sezt á Aðalból ok lét sem ekki hefði í orðit.
En Sámr var á þingi ok gekk mjök uppstertr. Mörgum mönnum þykkir vel, þó at þann veg hafi at borist, at Hrafnkell hafi hneykju farit, ok minnast nú, at hann hefir mörgum ójafnað sýnt.
12. Ráðagerð Þjóstarssona.
Sámr bíðr til þess, at slitit er þinginu. Búast menn þá heim. Þakkar hann þeim bræðrum sína liðveizlu, en Þorgeirr spurði Sám hlæjandi, hversu honum þætti at fara. Hann lét vel yfirþví.
Þorgeirr mælti: "Þykkist þú nú nökkuru nær en áðr?"
Sámr mælti: "Beðit þykki mér Hrafnkell hafa sneypu, er lengi mun uppi vera þessi hans sneypa, ok er þetta við mikla fémuni."
"Eigi er maðrinn alsekr, meðan eigi er háðr féránsdómr, ok hlýtr þat at hans heimili at gera. Þat skal vera fjórtán náttum eftir vápnatak."
En þat heitir vápnatak er alþýða ríðr af þingi.
"En ek get", segir Þorgeirr, "at Hrafnkell mun heim kominn ok ætli at sitja á Aðalbóli. Get ek, at hann mun halda mannaforráð fyrir yðr. En þú munt ætla at ríða heim ok setjast í bú þitt, ef þú náir, at bezta kosti. Get ek, at þú hafir þat svá þinna mála, at þú kallar hann skógarmann, en slíkan ægishjálm, get ek, at hann beri yfir flestum sem áðr, nema þú hljótir at fara nökkuru lægra."
"Aldri hirði ek þat", segir Sámr.
"Hraustr maðr ertu", segir Þorgeirr, "ok þykki mér sem Þorkell frændi vili eigi gera endamjótt við þik. Hann vill nú fylgja þér, þar til er ór slítr með ykkr Hrafnkeli, ok megir þú þá sitja um kyrrt. Mun yðr þykkja nú vit skyldastir at fylgja þér, er vér höfum áðr mest í fengizt. Skulum vit nú fylgja þér um sinnsakar í Austfjörðu, eða kanntu nökkura þá leið til Austfjarða, at eigi sé almannavegr?"
Sámr kveðst fara mundu ina sömu leið, sem hann fór austan. Sámr varð þessu feginn.
It was one morning early, that Thorbjorn the old man awakes.
He wakes Sam and bade him stand up. “I cannot sleep.”
Sam stands up and gets into his clothes. They go out and
over to Oxara, below the bridges. There they washed themselves.
Thorbjorn spoke with Sam: “That is my counsel, that you have
our horses brought out, and we prepare to go home. It can be seen now that for
us there will be nothing other than disgrace.”
Sam answers: “That is well, because you wanted nothing other
than to deal with Hrafnkel and would not accept those terms, which many a man
would gladly have taken, he who after his kinsman was obliged to see. You have brought
into question our character and all those who would enter into this suit with
you. Never again shall I agree to anything save that it seems to me likely that
I can accomplish it.”
Then Thorbjorn was so overwrought, that he wept.
Then they see from the west on the river, a little lower
than they sat, where five men walked together from one booth. That was a tall
man and yet not stout, who walked foremost, in a leaf green shirt and girt with
sword in hand, a smoothly featured man and ruddy faced and distinguished of
appearance, of light chestnut hair and well-haired. This man was easily
recognized, for he had a light lock of hair on the left side.
Sam said: “Let us stand up and go west over the river to
meet with these men.”
They go now over the river, and that man, who walked first,
hails them from afar and asks who they might be. They introduced themselves.
Sam asked the man for his name, and he named himself Thorkell and said himself
to be the son of Thjost. Sam asked from where he was descended or were he made
his home. He declared himself to be of the west firth by lineage and
upbringing, and to have his home in Thorskafjordh.
Sam said: “Are you then a chieftain?”
He said that was far from the case.
“Are you then a yeoman?” said Sam.
He said that was not the case.
Sam said: “What manner of man are you then?”
He answers: “I am a land loper. I came out in the last
winter. I have been abroad seven winters and fared into Constantinople, chosen
as retainer to the Byzantine Emperor, and now I have lodgings with my brother,
who is called Thorgeir.”
“Is he a chieftain?” says Sam.
Thorkell answers: “Chieftain is he certainly throughout
Thorskafjordh and more widely about Vestfjordh.”
“Is he at the Thing?” says Sam.
“Certainly he is here.”
“With how many men is he?”
“He is with seventy men,” says Thorkell.
“Are there more brothers?” says Sam.
“There is the third,” says Thorkell.
“Who is that?” says Sam.
“He is called Thormod,” says Thorkell, “and he dwells in
Gardhar on Alptanes. He has as wife Thordis, daughter of Thorolf
Skalla-Grimsson from Borg.”
“Will you give us any help?” says Sam.
“What sort of help do you need?” says Thorkell.
“The help and the power of chieftains,” says Sam, “because
we have a lawsuit to settle with Hrafnkel godhi concerning the slaying of Einar
Thorbjarnarson, and we might well rely on your aid in our case.”
Thorkell: “it is just as I have said, that I am not a
chieftain.”
“Why are you cut off from your inheritance so, when you are
a chieftain’s son just as your other brothers?”
Thorkell said: “I did not say to you that I had it not, but that I gave my
authority into the hands of Thorgeir, my brother, before I went abroad. I have
not taken with it since, because it seems to me to have been in good hands
while he has kept it. Go you and meet with him, bid him his aid. He is a noble
man in spirit and a brave fellow and well bred in all things, a young man and
eager after renown. Such men are most likely to give you aid.”
Sam says: “From him we will get nothing, save that you are
with us in pleading.”
Thorkell says: “in this I will how to be more with you than
against you, because there seems to me to be sufficient need to speak after a
closely related man. Go you now to the booths and walk inside them. The men are
asleep. You will see where two leather hammocks stand athwart the booths, and
one rises above another, and in the other sleeps Thorgeir, my brother. He has
had a tremendous boil on his foot, since he came to the Thing, and for this
reason he has slept little in the night. And now his foot has burst in the
night, and the pus in the boil is out, and now he is slept since and kept his
foot raised on a footboard due to the excessive heat on the foot. Let the old
man walk on and so into the booth. He seems to me greatly stricken both in sight
and age. Then when you, man,” says Thorkell, “come to the hammock, you shall
rush forward and fall on the foot rest and take hold on that toe, which is
bound, and jerk it toward you, and we shall see how he responds.”
Sam said: “Wise of counsel you might be, but that does not
seem to me advisable.”
Thorkell answers: “Either you do what I suggest, or seek not
my counsel.”
Sam spoke and says: “So it shall be done as he counsels.”
Thorkell said he would come later-- “For I await my men.”
And now go Sam and Thorbjorn and come into the tent. All the
men sleep there. They see quickly where Thorgeir lay. Thorbjorn the old man
goes forward and rushes on. And when he came to the hammock, then fell he onto
the foot rest and takes the toe, the one which is sore, and pulls it violently,
and Thorgeir awakens and leapt up in the hammock and asked who would come there
so headlong as to leap onto the feet of a man which were clearly sore. And to
this Sam and his friend had no answer.
Then came Thorkell quickly into the booth and said to
Thorgeir, his brother: “Be not so hasty nor so angry, kinsman, over this,
because it will not harm you. And for many a man things go not so well as he
wishes, so that he is not mindful, so great a trouble is in his heart. And it
is to be excused, kinsman, that your foot is sore, in which so much pain has
been suffered. Of all things you must be most aware of this. Now that might
also be, that to an old man no less a pain is the death of his son, when he
gets no compensation and is destitute in all ways himself. He will always be
made mindful of this, and it is to be expected that this man will not be much
aware, in whom so great a sorrow is borne.”
Thorgeir says: “I wouldn’t think that he could blame me,
because I didn’t kill his son, and for that reason he can’t avenge himself on
me.”
“He would not avenge himself on you,” says Thorkell, “and he
came on you harder than he intended, for which he has his poor sight to blame,
and he hoped for some help from you. It is noble to give to a man old and
needy. It is to him a great need, and not greed, that he speak after his son,
and now all of the chieftains withdraw from aiding these men and display in
this a great lack of nobility.”
Thorgeir said: “With whom do these men lay charge?”
Thorkell answered: “Hrafnkel godhi has slain the son of
Thorbjorn without cause. He commits injustices against any whom he pleases, and
will compensate no man for the same.”
Thorgeir said: “So it will go with me as with others, that I
know of no reason to do such a thing for these men that I will go into a
dispute with Hrafnkel. It seems to me that it has gone one way with him each
summer against those men who carry cases against him, that most of these men
receive but small compensation or nothing, before the end, and I see it fare
one way for them all. For this reason I believe most men to be uneager in this,
when no need draws them.”
Thorkell says: “That may be, that were it in my power and I
were chieftain, that it would seem to me ill to deal with Hrafnkel. But it does
not seem to me so, because it seems to me the best thing to do, when all men
are driven away in defeat, and I would think that my fame would grow, or
whatsoever chieftain who got a row over Hrafnkel, and would not lessen, though
it fared for me as for others, because the same might befall me as it has many
others. He prospers ever, who dares.”
“See I,” says Thorgeir, “how your thought is given you, that
you will give aid to these men. Now I will give to you in hand my position as
chieftain and my authority, and have you that, as I have had it before, and
from here on we show each have it equally; and grant you then them, as you
will.”
“So it seems to me,” says Thorkell, “that our chieftaindom
will be best served, just as you have held it so long. I desire no man so well
as you to have it, because you have many natural qualities in further abundance
above all of us brothers, and I am undecided, as to what I will do at the
moment. And you know, kinsman, that I have taken part in little, since I came
to Iceland. I may now see, what my counsel is. Now have I done as I will do for
the time. Let it be, that Thorkell of the lock of hair come there, that his
word be more highly esteemed.”
Thorgeir says: “See I now, how it turns, kinsman, that it
displeases you, and though I do not understand it we will follow these men,
howsoever it fares, if it is your will.”
Thorkell said: “This one thing I ask, which seems to me
better, that it be granted.”
“In what way do these men think themselves capable,” says
Thorgeir, “that the case might be met with prosperity?”
“So it is as I said earlier in the day, that we need the
strength of the chieftains, but I will carry the argument myself.”
Thorgeir said to him that this was good-- “and it is now
time to prepare the case as best you may. And to me it seems as Thorkell wills,
that you go to him, before the judgments are doled out. You will then have for
your stubbornness either some consolation or disgrace still more than before,
as well as affliction and vexation. Go home now and be merry, because you will
have need of this, if you shall deal with Hrafnkel, that you bear yourselves
well for a while, and say to no man, that we have given you aid.”
Then went they home to their booth, and were then much merry
with ale. All men wondered at this, why they had so quickly taken a change of
spirits, when they had been so unhappy when they had left from home.
Now they sit and wait, until the courts go out. Then calls
Sam up his men and goes to the law rock. There was the court set. Sam walked
boldly to the court. He delivers up immediately the calling of witnesses and
sought his case by the right laws of the land against Hrafnkel godhi, without
flaw in procedure, with distinguished performance. Immediately after come the
sons of Thjostr with a great company of men. All men
from the west of the land granted them aid, and it seemed that the sons of
Thjostr were much blessed with friends.
Sam sought the suit until Hrafnkel was summoned to defense,
save that that man there stood, who would carry forth the legal defense
according to the right law of the court. A great roar of applause rose at the
speech of Sam. None step forward who would agree to deliver the legal defense
on behalf of Hrafnkel.
Men ran to the booth of Hrafnkel and said to him what had
happened. He rose quickly and called up his men and went to the courts, and
thought that they would be small defense on behalf of the land. He had that in
his thought to lead unimportant men to pursue the case on his behalf. He
thought to overrun the court before Sam and drive him from the case. But in
this there was no choice. There was before him such a great gathering of men
that Hrafnkel came nowhere near. Barred to him was the road with a great show
of force, so that he could not hear the case which they sought against him. In
this it was difficult for him to carry forth a legal defense for himself. And
Sam sought the case to the fullest extent of the law, with the result that
Hrafnkel was fully outlawed in this Thing.
Hrafnkel goes immediately to his booth and has a horse
prepared and rides on his way from the Thing and little enjoys the result of
the case, because he had never suffered so before. Rides he then east onto
Lyngdalsheidhr and so east to Sidha, and does not let up until he comes home to
Hrafnkelsdal and sits in Adhalbol and behaves as if nothing has happened.
And Sam was at the Thing and walked most arrogantly. To many
men it seems well, though it had occurred in this way, that disgrace I come
upon Hrafnkel, and they remember now, that he has shown to them much injustice.
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