Now at the farm they took much comfort in their ewe, which never wandered far, and came home at night, sleeping always in the pen. But one morning she was gone and the pen broken down, and no trace of her was to be seen. Then Einar lamented greatly, since her milk was needed: he declared that she was stolen. But in the forenoon came those two, Hallvard and Hallmund, leading the ewe. "This beast," said Hallvard, "was found eating from our masters ricks." "Wherefore," asked Grani, "ate she not from our ricks, which were nearer?" "I know not," said Hallvard, "but she hath been at our ricks; and Rolf has said: Twenty in silver must you pay." Grani took his purse; and though his father scolded he gave silver, all that he had, and Hallvard and Hallmund went away. Now this happened again, and to redeem the ewe Grani gave a gold ring. Then he built up the pen again of double strength, so that a bullock could not have broken out; but on another morning the ewe was gone, and unless she were a goat she might not have jumped out. Einar was terribly enraged with an old mans anger, and swore those two ruffians had killed the ewe; yet after a while they were seen coming, leading the beast. Einar said to Grani, "Take now thy sword and slay them when they come." But Grani held his tongue and heard those two quietly when they claimed trespass money; he gave them all the jewels that he had, and the twain went away. Then Einar cried, "I have no son at all, but two daughters; and no one will defend me from this shameful persecution." Grani grew red as blood; but he said naught in answer, and tied the ewe in the pen. When he was alone Helga came to him. Asks she: "Thinkest thou that the ewe broke out those two times, and leaped out the third?" He answers: "Those two stole her, yet I cannot prove it, for there is no snow to show their tracks." "I blame not thy mildness at all," says Helga, "rather do I praise it. But why art thou so quiet under injustice?" "I call to mind," says Grani, "that when I enthralled Rolf he never complained, but took what fortune brought him, seeing that he could not help himself. He bided his time and avenged his father; and I suffer in silence, to keep my father alive. That lesson which Rolf set me, now I follow; I cannot resist him, save to my death, and what then would become of my father and of thee?" Now there came another night, and in the morning the ewe was gone; that day Grani yielded her to Rolf, as already told, while Einar upbraided him that he was so unmanly. And in the next days the old man was miserable, missing his milk, and not eating the broth Helga made, though the broth was very good. He made himself sick with his anger and his selfishness, and went to bed in the middle of the day, and scolded from where he lay. "Men tell," said he, "of Gisli the Outlaw, who entered his enemy's house and slew him for the slaying of his blood-brother. But nowadays no man will do such a deed--no, not to save his father."