"So, I ween, it must be," says Sweyn; "but never yet have I met brisker men than these, and I call it the greatest manscathe to take their lives."
"They have slain two of our briskest men," said the earl, "and for that they shall be slain."
"Because they were brisker men themselves," says Sweyn; "but still in this it must be done as thou willest."
So they were bound and fettered.
After that the earl fell asleep; but when all men slept, Grim spoke to Helgi, and said, "Away would I get if I could."
"Let us try some trick then," says Helgi.
Grim sees that there lies an axe edge up, so Grim crawled thither, and gets the bowstring which bound him cut asunder against the axe, but still he got great wounds on his arms.
Then he set Helgi loose, and after that they crawled over the ship's side, and got on shore, so that neither Hacon nor his men were ware of them. Then they broke off their fetters, and walked away to the other side of the island. By that time it began to dawn. There they found a ship, and knew that there was come Kari Solmund's son. They went at once to meet him, and told him of their wrongs and hardships, and showed him their wounds, and said the earl would be then asleep.
"Ill is it," said Kari, "that ye should suffer such wrongs for wicked men; but what now would be most to your minds?"
"To fall on the earl," they say, "and slay him."