ons now."

He then bade them farewell, and so they parted.

And when the brothers came to Samso they saw two ships lying in a
harbour which was called Munarvag. The ships were of the kind called
'Ash.' The brothers concluded that these must be the ships of Hjalmar
and Odd the Far-travelling, who was called Oervar-Odd. The sons of
Arngrim then drew their swords and gnawed the rims of their shields
and worked themselves up into the berserks' fury. Then they sallied
forth, six against each 'Ash,' but so brave were the men whom they
encountered on board that they all drew their weapons, and not one
fled from his post, and not one spoke a word of fear. And the berserks
made their way up one side of the ship and down the other and slew
them all. Then they landed and began to howl.

Hjalmar and Odd had landed on the Island to find out if the berserks
had come. And as they made their way from the forest to join their
ships, the berserks were leaving the ships with bloody weapons and
drawn swords. But by this time the berserk fury had passed away from
them, and at such times their strength is reduced like that of people
who are recovering from illness of some kind.

Then said Odd:

I never knew aught of terror
Till today when the berserks came.
They have sailed to this isle in their ashen ships,
All twelve devoid of shame,
And landed with many a whoop and yell,
Those wretches of evil fame.

Then said Hjalmar to Odd: "Do you see that all our men are fallen? It
is my belief that we shall all be Othin's guests tonight in Valhalla."

--And it is said that that was the only word of fear ever uttered by
Hjalmar.

Odd replied: "My advice would be that we should make off to the wood;
for we shall never be able to put up a fight, being only two against
twelve--and twelve too who have slain the twelve bravest men in
Sweden."

Then said Hjalmar: "We will never flee from our foes. Rather will we
suffer the worst that their weapons can inflict. I am going to fight
against the berserks."

"Not so," replied Odd; "I have no mind to visit Othin tonight. It is
all these berserks who must perish before evening comes; but you and I
will be left alive."

An account of their dialogue is found in these verses which Hjalmar
chanted:

Twelve berserks hasten onward,
Inglorious warriors;--
Leaving their warships on they come;
And when night's shadow lowers
We two shall feast in Othin's hall,
Leavin