Thorgeir said to his brother, "Let us go now and try how Grettir will start, if I set upon him as he comes away from his bath."
"I do not like this," answered Thormod; "you will vex our host, and get no advantage over Grettir."
"I will try what I can do," said the elder; and he took his axe, hid it under his cloak, and went down towards the bathing-place.
When he had reached it he said, "Grettir, there is a talk that you have boasted that no man could make you take to your heels."
"I never said that," answered Grettir, "but anyhow you are not the man to make me run."
Then Thorgier swung up his axe and would have cut at Grettir; but Grettir suspected that the man meant mischief, and he was ready, so that the instant he drew out the axe and swung it, Grettir clashed forward at him, struck him in the chest and sent him staggering back, so that he sprawled his length on the ground.
Then Thorgeir shouted to his brother, "Why do you stand by and let this savage kill me?"
Thormod then laid hold of Grettir, and endeavoured to drag him away, but his strength was not sufficient to effect this.
At that moment up came Arison, the bonder, and he bade them be quiet and have nought to do with Grettir.
So the brothers stood up, and Thorgeir pretended it was all sport, that he had only proposed giving Grettir a fright; but the bonder hardly believed him. As for the younger of the brothers, it was well seen that he had been drawn into the matter against his will. So the winter passed, and peace was kept. This little struggle with Grettir had shown Thorgeir that it would be ill for him to have dealings with a man so prompt and strong as Grettir, and he controlled himself and did not seek to pick a quarrel with him any more. At the same time he did not like him any better. Thorgils Arison got great credit, when it was reported that throughout an entire winter he had maintained such turbulent men as the foster-brothers and Grettir under his roof without their having fought.[#]