"But about this matter of the suit," he says, "there is no need to speak softly, how that it is the will of both Gizur and Geir that this suit should not be settled in a friendly way. They gave that counsel that a summons should be set on foot, and that Gunnar should be summoned for having partaken of the goods, but Hallgerda for stealing them." "It shall be done," said Otkell, "in everything as they have given counsel." "They thought most of this," says Skamkell, "that thou hadst behaved so proudly; but as for me, I made as great a man of thee in everything as I could." Now Otkell tells all this to his brothers, and Hallbjorn said, "This must be the biggest lie." Now the time goes on until the last of the summoning days before the Althing came. Then Otkell called on his brothers and Skamkell to ride on the business of the summons to Lithend. Hallbjorn said he would go, but said also that they would rue this summoning as time went on. Now they rode twelve of them together to Lithend, but when they came into the "town," there was Gunnar out of doors, and knew naught of their coming till they had ridden right up to the house. He did not go in-doors then, and Otkell thundered out the summons there and then; but when they had made an end of the summoning Skamkell said, "Is it all right, master?" "Ye know that best;" says Gunnar, "but I will put thee in mind of this journey one of these days, and of thy good help." "That will not harm us," says Skamkell, "if thy bill be not aloft." Gunnar was very wroth and went in-doors, and told Kolskegg, and Kolskegg said, "Ill was it that we were not out of doors; they should have come here on the most shameful journey, if we had been by." "Everything bides its time," says Gunnar; "but this journey will not turn out to their honour." A little after Gunnar went and told Njal. "Let it not worry thee a jot," said Njal, "for this will be the greatest honour to thee, ere this Thing comes to an end. As for us, we will all back thee with counsel and force." Gunnar thanked him and rode home. Otkell rides to the Thing, and his brothers with him and Skamkell. 51. OF GUNNAR Gunnar rode to the Thing and all the sons of Sigfus; Njal and his sons too, they all went with Gunnar; and it was said that no band was so well knit and hardy as theirs. Gunnar went one day to the booth of the Dalemen; Hrut was by the booth and Hauskuld, and they greeted Gunnar well. Now Gunnar tells them the whole story of the suit up to that time. "What counsel gives Njal?" asks Hrut. "He bade me seek you brothers," says Gunnar, "and said he was sure that he and you would look at the matter in the same light."