"He wishes then," says Hrut, "that I should say what I think for kinship's sake; and so it shall be. Thou shalt challenge Gizur the White to combat on the island, if they do not leave the whole award to thee; but Kolskegg shall challenge Geir the Priest. As for Otkell and his crew, men must be got ready to fall on them; and now we have such great strength all of us together, that thou mayst carry out whatever thou wilt." Gunnar went home to his booth and told Njal. "Just what I looked for," said Njal. Wolf Aurpriest got wind of this plan, and told Gizur, and Gizur said to Otkell, "Who gave thee that counsel that thou shouldst summon Gunnar?" "Skamkell told me that was the counsel of both Geir the Priest and thyself." "But where is that scoundrel?" says Gizur, "who has thus lied." "He lies sick up at our booth," says Otkell. "May he never rise from his bed," says Gizur. "Now we must all go to see Gunnar, and offer him the right to make his own award; but I know not whether he will take that now." Many men spoke ill of Skamkell, and he lay sick all through the Thing. Gizur and his friends went to Gunnar's booth; their coming was known, and Gunnar was told as he sat in his booth, and then they all went out and stood in array. Gizur the White came first, and after a while he spoke and said, "This is our offer -- that thou, Gunnar, makest thine own award in this suit." "Then," says Gunnar, "it was no doubt far from thy counsel that I was summoned." "I gave no such counsel," says Gizur, "neither I nor Geir." "Then thou must clear thyself of this charge by fitting proof." "What proof dost thou ask?" says Gizur. "That thou takest an oath," says Gunnar. "That I will do," says Gizur, "if thou wilt take the award into thine own hands." "That was the offer I made a while ago," says Gunnar; "but now, methinks, I have a greater matter to pass judgment on." "It will not be right to refuse to make thine own award," said Njal; "for the greater the matter, the greater the honour in making it." "Well," said Gunnar, "I will do this to please my friends, and utter my award; but I give Otkell this bit of advice, never to give me cause for quarrel hereafter." Then Hrut and Hauskuld were sent for, and they came thither, and then Gizur the White and Gier the Priest took their oaths; but Gunnar made his award, and spoke with no man about it, and afterwards he uttered it as follows: