The folk of the household rushed out of the hall, as might be expected, and all that evening they had no light nor any warmth from the fire.
Next evening the fires were made in the other hall, as the dead men would be less likely to come there; but this was not so, for everything happened just as it had done on the previous evening, and both parties came to sit by the fires.
On the third evening Kjartan advised that a large fire should be made in the hall, and a little fire in another and smaller room.

This was done, and things then went on in this fashion, that Thorodd and the others sat beside the big fire, while the household contented themselves with the little one, and this lasted right through Christmas-tide.
By this time there was more and more noise in the pile of fish, and the sound of them being torn was heard both by night and day.

Some time after this it was necessary to take down some of the fish, and the man who went up on the pile saw this strange thing, that up out of the pile there came a tail, in appearance like a singed ox-tail.

It was black and covered with hair like a seal.

The man laid hold of it and pulled, and called on the others to come and help him.