Grettir the Outlaw 9
The bear had taken up his abode in the face of a tremendous cliff that
overhung the sea. There was but one path up to the cave, and that was
so narrow that only one man could creep along it at a time. Moreover, if
his foot slipped he would be flung over the edge upon the rocks or
skerries below against which the waves dashed.
"When the den of the bear had been discovered," Biorn said, "That is the
main thing. Now I know where the rogue lies, I’ll settle with him,
trust me. I’ve been the death of scores of bears. My only dread is lest
he be afraid of me, and will not come on."
And, actually, Biorn went out on several moonlit nights to watch for the
bear. He saw that the only way to deal with him would be to stop the
track from the den, and fight him as he attempted to come away. He took
his short sword and great shield with him covered with ox-hide, and one
night he laid himself down on the path of the bear, and put his shield
over him. He thought that Bruin would come smelling at the great
hide-covered shield, and then all at once he (Biorn) would spring up and
drive his sword into the heart of the bear. That was his plan—and not a
bad plan—only, unfortunately for Biorn, the bear did not come out for a
long time. He had got an inkling that a man was watching for him, so he
was shy, and whilst he waited before venturing forth, Biorn, who had
been drinking pretty freely that evening, went to sleep.
Presently the bear came out, crept cautiously down the narrow track,
snuffing about, and when he came to Biorn, he plucked with his claws at
the shield, and with one wrench had it off and tumbled it down the
cliff.
Biorn woke with a start, rose to his knees, saw the huge bear before
him, and in a moment turned tail, and ran as hard as he could run to
Thorgils’ house, and was too scared to be able to boast that he had
killed or wounded the bear.
Next morning his shield was found where the bear had thrown it, and much
fun did this adventure of the braggart occasion. This made him very
irritable and more spiteful than ever.
Thorgils now said that really something must be done to rid the
neighbourhood of the bear, so a party of eight set out well armed with
spears; of this party were Biorn and Grettir. They reached the point
where the track to the den ran up the cliff to the lair, and one man
after another tried it. But there was no getting at the bear; for as
soon as a man came near the beast put his great forepaws forth and
caught and snapped the spear-heads or beat them down. As already said,
only one could crawl up at a time.
Grettir had gone out that day in a fur coat that his friend Thorfin had
given him, and which he greatly valued. When the onslaught against the
bear began, he took off his fur coat, and folded it, and put it on a
stone. Biorn saw this, and, when none observed, he took the fur coat
and threw it into the cave of the bear. Grettir did not see what had
been done till the party, disappointed with their want of success, made
ready to depart, when he missed it, and then some suspicion entered his
head as to what had been done with it, and by whom, but he said nothing.
As they walked home, Biorn began to taunt Grettir with having done
nothing all day. He could kill robbers who were unarmed and were drunk,
perhaps asleep, but a bear was too serious an adversary for him.
Grettir said nothing, but as his gaiter thong became broken, he stopped
and stooped to mend it. Thorgils asked if they should wait for him.
Grettir declined.
"Oh," said Biorn, "it is all nonsense. It is a pretence. He means to
have all the glory of fighting the bear alone when we have gone on."
He said the truth, but he had no idea when he spoke that it was the
truth.
Grettir tarried till the party had crossed a hill and was out of sight,
then he turned and went back to the bear’s den. He slipped his hand
through the loop at the end of the handle of his short sword that he had
taken from the grave of Karr the Old, and let it hang on his wrist, but
he held the long sword, Jokull’s gift, by the pommel. His plan was to
use the long sword if needed, but if the bear came to close quarters he
would throw it down and grasp the short one without having to put his
hand to his girdle for it. Very cautiously he crept along the path.
Bruin saw him, and was now angry and hungry, and came down to meet him.
The bear was somewhat above him; Grettir halted, and the bear stood up
growling on his hind-legs.
At once the long sword was whirled and fell on the right wrist above the
paw, and cut it off. The bear immediately fell down on all-fours; but
the amputated paw was on the side away from the wall of rock, and when
he went down on the stump he was overbalanced, and came down with his
whole weight on Grettir.
Grettir let fall his long sword at once, and with both hands grasped the
brute’s ears, and held his head off lest he should get a bite at him.
Grettir, in after years, was wont to say that this was the hardest
tussle he had in his life—it was even worse than anything he had to do
with the rovers. For if the beast had but been able to nip him on the
breast, or shoulder, or face with his great fangs, all would have been
up with him. Moreover, the ears were so smooth that he had to do his
utmost not to let them slip. Grettir had the wit to drag back the
brute’s head to the rock, and by so doing the bear could not use his
only uninjured fore-leg, armed with terrible claws, which would have
ripped Grettir’s clothes and flesh.
In the struggle the two went over the edge, and for a moment Grettir
thought, as they spun in the air, that he was lost. But the bear was
heavier than the lad, consequently he fell crash on the rocks at the
bottom first, and Grettir on him, breaking Grettir’s fall by his great
body. The bear’s back was broken.
Then Grettir got up, shook himself, left the bear, went up the path and
found his fur coat torn to tatters, and he put it about him, recovered
also his long sword, and took the cut-off paw of the bear.
He now went back to Thorgils’ house, and when he came into the hall
where the fires were blazing, every one laughed to see him in his
tattered coat; but when he gave the paw of the bear to Thorgils the
general merriment exchanged to surprise. Biorn, however, could not
contain himself for vexation, and launched forth some coarse jest that
made Grettir’s blood tingle in his veins.
"Do not listen to him," said Thorgils. "You are a brave fellow, and
there are not many your like." Then turning to Biorn, he said,
"Kinsman, I advise and warn you to keep a civil tongue in your head, or
you will come to rue it, and have to be taught better manners."
"Oh, if I am to learn manners from Grettir, that is sending me to a cub
indeed!"
"I want to know," said Grettir, "whether you threw my fur coat into the
den?"
"I am not afraid of saying that I did."
"Will you give me another in its place?"
"I have not the smallest intention of doing charity to beggars."
The braggart knew that Grettir was restraining himself because he did
not wish to quarrel with his host’s kinsman, and he took advantage of
his knowledge. But Thorgils was greatly distressed and ashamed, and he
said to Grettir:
"Pay no attention to his words. He has insulted you, and I will pay you
a fine in compensation for his insult, that it may be buried and
forgotten."
That was customary then. When one had hurt another in body or in honour
by blow or foul word, he was bound to pay a sum of money; if he did not
then the man injured was required by the laws of honour to revenge the
injury.
But when Biorn heard this proposal, he shouted out that he would not
suffer the matter to be so compromised; he was not ashamed of his words.
Thorgils drew Grettir aside, and said to him that his kinsman was a
badly-behaved, brutal fellow, but that he hoped Grettir would not take
up the quarrel in his house; and Grettir promised him solemnly that he
would not attempt to take revenge for the rudeness of Biorn so long as
they were both inmates of his house.
"As for what may happen between you later," said Thorgils, "I wash my
hands of responsibility. If Biorn is offensive to those who have never
hurt him, he must take the consequences."
So matters remained; only that Biorn, presuming on his position, became
daily more arrogant, intolerable, and abusive, so that Grettir had to
exercise daily self-restraint to keep his hands off him. And glad he
was when spring came, that he might get away to another part of Norway.
As for Biorn, he went in the summer to England in a ship that belonged
to Thorgils, trading there for Thorgils and for himself. Consequently,
all that summer he and Grettir did not meet.
*CHAPTER IX.*
*THE SLAYING OF BIORN.*
_The Meeting on the Island—Biorn’s Death—Thorfin Comes to
Grettir’s Aid—Grettir’s Life in Danger—Hiarandi’s Revenge—A
Doomed Man_
Grettir left Thorgils very good friends, and he went with some merchants
to the north, but when the summer was over he came back south, and
arrived at a little island in the entrance of the Drontheim firth. His
intention was to see Earl Sweyn, and perhaps take service under him; but
if so, things fell out other than he had reckoned. For, as he was in
this island, there came in a large merchant vessel from England, and
Grettir and those with him at once went to see the shipmen, and among
them was Biorn. The ship was, in fact, that of Thorgils, and it was
laden with commodities bought in England, or obtained by exchange for
the wool, and furs, and women’s embroidery sent out in the spring by
Thorgils.
Directly Biorn saw Grettir he turned red, and pretended not to recognize
him; but Grettir went to him at once and said:
"Now has come the time when we two can settle our differences."
"Oh," said Biorn, "that is soon done. I don’t object to paying a
trifle."
"The time for paying is over," said Grettir. "Thorgils offered an
indemnity for your insolence, and you refused to consent to it."
Then Biorn saw that there was no help for him but that he must fight.
So he girded him for the conflict, and he and Grettir went down on the sand, and they fought.
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