"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 Geir the priest took their oaths; but Gunnar made his award, and spoke with no man about it, and afterwards he uttered it as follows:—
"This is my award," he says; "first, I lay it down that the storehouse must be paid for, and the food that was therein; but for the thrall, I will pay thee no fine, for that thou hiddest his faults; but I award him back to thee; for as the saying is, 'Birds of a feather flock most together'. Then, on the other hand, I see that thou hast summoned me in scorn and mockery, and for that I award to myself no less a sum than what the house that was burnt and the stores in it were worth; but if ye think it better that we be not set at one again, then I will let you have your choice of that, but if so I have already made up my mind what I shall do, and then I will fulfil my purpose."
"What we ask," said Gizur, "is that thou shouldst not be hard on Otkell, but we beg this of thee, on the other hand, that thou wouldst be his friend."
"That shall never be," said Gunnar, "so long as I live; but he shall have Skamkell's friendship; on that he has long leant."
"Well," answers Gizur, "we will close with thee in this matter, though thou alone layest down the terms."