THE RIDING TO LITHEND.
Next autumn Mord Valgard's son, sent word that Gunnar would be all alone
at home, but all his people would be down in the isles to make an end of
their haymaking. Then Gizur the white and Geir the priest rode east over
the rivers as soon as ever they heard that, and so east across the sands
to Hof. Then they sent word to Starkad under the Threecorner, and there
they all met who were to fall on Gunnar, and took counsel how they might
best bring it about.
Mord said that they could not come on Gunnar unawares, unless they
seized the farmer who dwelt at the next homestead, whose name was
Thorkell, and made him go against his will with them to lay hands on the
hound Sam, and unless he went before them to the homestead to do this.
Then they set out east for Lithend, but sent to fetch Thorkell. They
seized him and bound him, and gave him two choices--one that they would
slay him, or else he must lay hands on the hound; but he chooses rather
to save his life, and went with them.
There was a beaten sunk road, between fences, above the farm yard at
Lithend, and there they halted with their band. Master Thorkell went up
to the homestead, and the tyke lay on the top of the house, and he
entices the dog away with him into a deep hollow in the path. Just then
the hound sees that there are men before them, and he leaps on Thorkell
and tears his belly open.
Aunund of Witchwood smote the hound on the head with his axe, so that
the blade sunk into the brain. The hound gave such a great howl that
they thought it passing strange, and he fell down dead.