Then all said that Thorhall had done great things, and all thought the prosecution better than the defence.
Then Flosi said to Eyjolf, "Thinkest thou that this is good law?"
"I think so, surely," he says, "and beyond a doubt we overlooked this; but still we will have another trial of strength with them."
Then Eyjolf took witness. "I take witness to this," said he, "that I challenge these two men out of the inquest" — here he named them both — "for that sake that they are lodgers, but not householders; I do not allow you two to sit on the inquest, for now a lawful challenge has overtaken you; I challenge you both and set you aside out of the inquest, by the rightful custom of the Althing and by the law of the land."
Now Eyjolf said he was much mistaken if that could be shaken; and then all said that the defence was better than the prosecution.
Now all men praised Eyjolf, and said there was never a man who could cope with him in lawcraft.
Mord Valgard's son and Asgrim Ellidagrim's son now sent a man to Thorhall to tell him how things stood; but when Thorhall heard that, he asked what goods they owned, or if they were paupers?
The messenger said that one gained his livelihood by keeping milch-kine, and "he has both cows and ewes at his abode; but the other has a third of the land which he and the freeholder farm, and finds his own food: and they have one hearth between them, he and the man who lets the land, and one shepherd."
Then Thorhall said, "They will fare now as before, for they must have made a mistake, and I will soon upset their challenge and this though Eyjolf had used such big words that it was law."
Now Thorhall told the messenger plainly, step by step, how they must proceed; and the messenger came back and told Mord and Asgrim all the counsel that Thorhall had given.