all heavy axe strokes, and the cry--

"Halfred, Halfred, save thy house! Save the Singing Swan!"

With a crash the door fell inwards, and new devastation was seen, which
kindled afresh the momentarily smothered battle fury in the hall.

Halfred looked through the doorway. The house of his forefathers, and
the ships in the harbour, and the Singing Swan were all wrapped in
flames.

The followers of the princes of Westgothaland, who were lodged in the
pine huts, had first heard the din of battle, and seen the flames in
the hall. "To the rescue--to the rescue of our lords," they shouted,
tore down the wooden wall that divided them from the Mead hall, and
hurried to their aid.

But then there threw themselves upon them, to hinder them, their
hostile neighbours, the followers of the princes of Eastgothaland, who
being too weak to hold the open field, retreated partly into Halfred's
dwelling house, partly to their ships in the Fjord.

With shouts of triumph the victors followed, crowded with the fugitives
into Halfred's dwelling house, and stormed the ships in the bay; and
dwelling house and ships were suddenly wrapped in flames, either set on
fire by the combatants, or ignited by sparks and burning splinters,
borne by the strong south wind from the roof of the Mead hall.

Halfred threw one glance at his shattered harp, and the burning house
of his fathers; then he grasped his hammer firmer, and cried--

"Come hither to me all Halfred's comrades. Quit the hall. Save the
Swan!"

And with a mighty onslaught, swinging his hammer round his head, he
burst through the ranks of the men who had already renewed the battle
in the hall.

Hartvik and Eigil followed on his track, and many of his own people,
and also of the enemy.

But those who did not leave the drinking hall with him were almost all
at once numbered with the dead. For with a heavy crash, close behind
Halfred, fell the whole burning roof into the hall.

Halfred glanced back in his rapid course. High upwards shot the blaze,
mingling with sound of shrieks from hundreds slain. Then all was silent
in the midsummer feast hall.

Halfred rushed on, followed by friends and foes, past his father's
house. He saw the flames creeping up the pillars; within rose the din
of raging conflict; on the threshold lay a slaughtered servant girl.

Soon Halfred and his comrades reached the bay, where the battle surged
around the high-decked ships. Many were burning. Many dragon'