s heads
seemed to vomit fire and smoke.

Around the Singing Swan, however, raged the battle most furiously. In
dense masses the enemy thronged round her, wading, swimming, in boats
and on rafts, they crowded on; others hurled spears and arrows from the
shore at her defenders, and more than one burning arrow had struck and
set fire to her.

The left wing of the ingeniously carved Swan was on fire; tongues of
fire were creeping up ropes and sails--just as Halfred arrived they
caught the mast.

Then grief and fury seized upon him. His temple veins swelled almost to
the size of a child's finger.

"Quench, quench the flames! All hands on deck! Save the Swan! Cut the
anchor-cable. Put out to sea. Fight no more. I will fight for you all."

His faithful followers obeyed him. The seamen left off fighting, and
laboured only to quench the flames, in which also they soon succeeded,
as no more arrows flew from the land, and the foe were forced to leave
the ship.

For Halfred raged furiously, as none had ever seen him fight. With a
loud battle-cry he sprang upon the people of Westgothaland and
Tiunderland, and struck them down one after another.

Loyally aided him Hartvik and Eigil, his blood brethren, and spared not
even their own countrymen and kindred; but thought rather on the blood
oath which bound them more closely to Halfred than to their own
kinsmen.

And the foe fell back before Halfred and his comrades, from the open
field into the dwelling house, which was half burned down, and
barricaded it.

And thus he stormed his own house, in which the people from
Westgothaland had before overcome the house churls and the East Goths,
and slain them all.

Yet a whole hour lasted the conflict. There Halfred, on the threshold
of his house, slew the Danish Jarl Sveno, the last chieftain of the
enemy who still lived, and pressed into the house with his men.

The people from Westgothaland, Zealand, and Tiunderland, defended
themselves like bears at bay. But at last they were all slain. And from
thence Halfred returned to the Mead hall, which was still glowing, and
searched who there still lived.

But there, also, all were dead.

And they found the bodies of King Hartstein, and Sudha, and of the Dane
Hako, and the two Irishmen, Konal and Kiartan, of the Eastgothic
Prince Helge--Helgrimr had fallen on board ship--and of Arngeir and
Arnbiorn--Arnolfr had been slain in the dwelling house--and they found
Vandrad the Skald at t