Grettir then prepared for his swim. He wore a cloak of coarse material
with breeches and had his fingers webbed. The weather was fine; he left
the island towards the evening. Illugi thought his journey was hopeless.
Grettir had the current with him and it was calm as he swam towards the
fjord. He smote the water bravely and reached Reykjanes after sunset.
He went into the settlement at Reykir, bathed in the night in a warm
spring, and then entered the hall, where it was very hot and a little
smoky from the fire which had been burning there all day. He was very
tired and slept soundly, lying on right into the day. When it was a
little way on in the morning the servants rose, and the first to enter
the room were two women, the maid with the bondi's daughter. Grettir was
asleep, and his clothes had all fallen off on to the floor. They saw a
man lying there and recognised him. The maid said:
"As I wish for salvation, sister, here is Grettir the son of Asmund
come. He really is large about the upper part of his body, and is lying
bare. But he seems to me unusually small below. It is not at all in
keeping with the rest of him."
The bondi's daughter said: "How can you let your tongue run on so? You
are more than half a fool! Hold your tongue!"
"I really cannot be silent, my dear sister," said the maid; "I would not
have believed it if any one had told me."
Then she went up to him to look more closely, and kept running back to
the bondi's daughter and laughing. Grettir heard what she said, sprang
up and chased her down the room. When he had caught her he spoke a
verse:
(VERSE MISSING IN MANUSCRIPT)
Soon afterwards Grettir went to the bondi Thorvald, told him his
difficulty and asked him to take him out to the island again, which he
did, lending him a ship and taking him over. Grettir thanked him for his
courtesy. When it became known that Grettir had swum a sea-mile, every
one thought his courage extraordinary both on sea and on land. The men
of Skagafjord blamed Thorbjorn Angle much for not having ridded Drangey
of Grettir, and all wanted their shares back again. That did not suit
him and he asked them to have patience.