a "chased axe" (one trick), and that, at Snorri's secret behest,
Audgisl was now on the eve of taking the hood-owner's (Thorgils
Hallason's) life (two). This, the hood says, it knows, though at most
times it is '_dry_.' 'Dry' here seems clearly to stand in the sense of
'clear of,' 'free from,' _expers, immunis_; practically, _ignorant_.
At most times the hood is ignorant of such 'tricks' threatening
Thorgils' life, though now it knows of one, even two. With this use of
'ethurr,' _cf._ Sturlunga^2 ii. 227_{37}--"Um sum illvirki žeirra er
žat sumum moennum eigi tvimaelis-laust, hvart žer munieth _žurt_ hafa um
setieth allar vitundir" = "As to some misdeeds of theirs, it is to some
men (a matter) not free from double speech whether you will have sat
(by) '_dry_' of all knowledge (_i.e._ complicity) therein," _i.e._,
concerning certain of their misdeeds some persons will have their
doubts as to whether you be 'clear of' all complicity therein.
Of course it is Thorgils' 'Fylgja' (Fetch) that speaks through the
cloak.