by Allen French
CHAPTER XV
OF SUITS AT THE ALTHING
Rolf journeyed to the Althing, and as he went he fell in with thecompany of Snorri the Priest, and travelled with them. Snorri heardhow the summons had gone, and he asked whether Rolf had said anythingof Grettir. Rolf answered that he had not. Then he told of the summonswhich Ondott had made, and Snorri laughed. It was not many days beforethey came to the Thingvalla, and Rolf saw that great wonder ofIceland.
For from the plain on which they journeyed a large part had fallenclean away, many yards down, and it lay below like the bottom of apan. The Great Rift was the name of the western precipice, and therewas no way down save by one steep path; Snorri had held that path onthe day of the battle at the Althing, nor would he let Flosi and theBurners escape that way. When Rolf had got down to the plain, he sawall the booths for the lodging of those who came to the Althing,ranged along the river. He saw the places where the Quarter Courtswere held, and he went to the Hill of Laws, where the Fifth Court satto hear appeals. Now the Hill of Laws is cut off from the plain bydeep rifts, and men showed Rolf where, to save his life, Flosi hadleaped one rift at its narrowest part, and that was a great deed.Other wonders were to be seen. Then on the second day the sitting ofthe courts began, and Rolf watched closely for the calling of hissuit. But that came not until the sitting was near its end.
Now Snorri conducted the case of Rolf, and all went in due order.Einar answered what was said against him, that he was not present atthe slaying of Hiarandi. Snorri called on the court to say whetherEinar were not answerable, because his men did the deed. The judgessaid he was. Then it came to proving whether or not the slaying wereillegal, and Snorri said that a man had been found who could shoot thedistance. And this he asked of the judges:
"Is it not true that when, before witnesses, an arrow is shot from theboundary and falls beyond the tree, that will prove the slayingunlawful?"
"That is so," said the judges.
"Now say further," demanded Snorri. "Is it not true that in the momentwhen the slaying is proved unlawful, the guilt of Einar isestablished, so that no suit at law is needed?"
"That also is true," answered the judges.
"Now," said Snorri, "one last thing do I ask, whether or not he whogoes to make the proof by shooting an arrow, may go and come freely,whatsoever man he be?"
"We see no reason why this may not be so," said the judges.
"Now give that decision here aloud in the open court," requiredSnorri.
But Einar arose and said: "One exception only shall I ask to this,that no outlaw be allowed to take part in this suit, by shooting thearrow."
Then said Snorri to Rolf, "They have learned of Grettir." He said tothe judges: "Well do I know that no outlaw is ever allowed to givewitness in court, nor to sit on juries. But no such case as this hasever arisen, and it seems to me that an outlaw might be permitted toshoot."
Then there was great talking on both sides, for the greater part of anhour: it would be tedious to tell what was said. But the end was, thatthe judges were divided, so the question was referred to the Lawman.And his answer was, that no outlaw might take part in a law matter inany way whatsoever. There was an end to Rolf's hopes to prove Einarguilty by the means of Grettir.
But Snorri called all men to witness that when some day a man might befound to shoot the distance, then Einar was guilty without going tolaw. Now men began to whisper and say that the end of Grettir'soutlawry was but four years off, and then Rolf could be justified. SoEinar tried to have a limit of three years set on that time when itwas lawful to try the shooting; but Snorri strove mightily againstthat, and that question went to the Lawman, and he said that sevenyears should be the limit.
That was the end of the suit, and Rolf got no satisfaction at all. Onemore thing was done on that day, for Snorri went to Einar where hestood with Ondott, and he asked of the second suit, for which Rolf hadbeen summoned. Ondott spoke for Einar.
"We shall not bring that suit."
"That is well," said Snorri, "for ye had no case, and I could have afine laid on you if the case was brought falsely." Then he took Rolfwith him to his booth.
But here is the trick which Ondott had prepared. For the next day wasthe last of the sittings, and Snorri was busy with many matters; butRolf stayed at the booth, much cast down. Then toward the sunset hourthe cases were all finished, and men left the courts, all save thejudges, who stayed for the formal closing. Then Ondott brought forwardthe case against Rolf, and summoned him into court, but no one wasthere to tell either Snorri or the lad. Nevertheless it was the lawthat the suit might go on, because lawful summons had been given. AndEinar stood up and said:
"I take witness to this, that I give notice of a suit against RolfHiarandi's son, in that he slew by a body wound, by an arrow, myherdsman Thorold. I say that in this suit he ought to be made a guiltyman, an outlaw, not to be fed, not to be forwarded, not to be helpedor harbored in any need. I say that all his goods are forfeited, halfto me, and half to the men of the Quarter, who have a right by law totake his forfeited goods; I give notice of this suit in the QuarterCourt into which it ought by law to come. I give notice in the hearingof all men on the Hill of Laws. I give notice of this suit to bepleaded now, and of full outlawry against Rolf Hiarandi's son."
All that was said in the manner laid down by law. Then Einar pushedthe case, and no one was there to answer him. All steps were takenthen and there, and judgment was called for and given, and in hisabsence Rolf was made full outlaw, and his goods were declaredforfeited. Not till the court had risen, and nothing might be done,was the news brought to Snorri and Rolf.
Snorri was angry that he had been tricked, yet he could see no way tohelp himself. This one thing he brought about, that the judgesdeclared that Rolf, outlaw though he was, might shoot to prove hisinnocence, if he might but get himself safely to the spot. And Snorrisought to comfort Rolf, but the lad was dazed.
"The farm is lost!" he cried.
"Thou canst win it back," answered Snorri. "Thou art young and thystrength will grow. Before the seven years are past thou canst makethat shot."
"Nay," said Rolf. "I can never do it until I find some bow as strongas Grettir's, yet which a common man may string. Never have I found abow too stiff for me, save his alone."
"Skill may beat strength," quoth Snorri. "Somewhere mayest thou findthe bow thou dreamest of."
"Where?" demanded Rolf.
Snorri was silent, for he feared no such bow was to be found.
Rolf sighed. "And my mother?" he asked next.
"She shall live with me at Tongue. And now," said Snorri, "meseemsbest that thou goest home at once. Thou knowest all that is to bedone?"
"I know," replied Rolf; and Snorri believed him, because to the Priestall the ways of the law were so familiar that it seemed all men mustknow them. Yet Rolf did not know, and they meant different things.
"Shall I lend thee money," asked Snorri, "or hast thou enough?"
"I have plenty," said Rolf; yet he had only enough for the journey,whereas much more was needed. Then Rolf took his leave of Snorri, andgave him his thanks; and taking his horse, he went from the Thingfieldby the path up the Great Rift. And he passed two men of Einar's, whospoke together that they were to start very early in the morning. Fromthe top of the Rift Rolf looked down on that plain where all men werestill busy, and which in years had brought misfortune on all hisfamily. Then at last he went his way.
Now those men of Einar's went to their booth, and told that they hadseen Rolf departing. "Hasten back at once," said Ondott, "and findwhat direction he takes." And they went and watched.
"He went northwest," said they, "and he took not the straight tracktoward home."
"Then he is gone elsewhere," quoth Ondott, and seemed glad. "Hurry,all of you, for he delivers himself into our hands."
Meanwhile Rolf went northwest to the valley of the geysirs, and on thesecond day found Grettir the Strong cooking his food at a boilingspring.