of wolf
and other skins, which were found to offer good resistance to a
sword-cut, and some of them had portions of armour of various kinds.
Their arms were spears, bows, arrows with stone heads, javelins, swords,
bills, and battle-axes and shields.

When both lines met there was a hard fight. The combatants first threw
their spears and javelins, and then drew their swords and went at each
other in the greatest fury. In the centre Haldor and Erling went
together in advance of their banner, cutting down on both sides of them.
Old Guttorm Stoutheart went in advance of the right wing, also hewing
down right and left. With him went Kettle Flatnose, for that ambitious
thrall could not be made to remember his position, and was always
putting himself in front of his betters in war; yet it is due to him to
say that he kept modestly in the background in time of peace. To these
was opposed Thorvold, with many of the stoutest men among the Danes.

Now, old Guttorm and Kettle pressed on so hard that they were almost
separated from their men; and while Guttorm was engaged with a very tall
and strong man, whom he had wounded severely more than once, another
stout fellow came between him and Kettle, and made a cut at him with his
sword. Guttorm did not observe him, and it seemed as if the old
Stoutheart should get his death-wound there; but the thrall chanced to
see what was going on. He fought with a sort of hook, like a
reaping-hook, fixed at the end of a spear handle, with the cutting edge
inside. The men of Horlingdal used to laugh at Kettle because of his
fondness for this weapon, which was one of his own contriving; but when
they did so, he was wont to reply that it was better than most other
weapons, because it could not only make his friends laugh, but his
enemies cry!

With this hook the thrall made a quick blow at the Dane; the point of it
went down through his helmet into his brain, and that was his deathblow.

"Well done, Kettle!" cried old Guttorm, who had just cleft the skull of
his opponent with his sword.

At this Thorvold ran forward and said:

"Well done it may be, but well had it been for the doer had it not been
done. Come on, thou flatnose!"

"Now, thou must be a remarkably clever man," retorted Kettle, with much
of that rich tone of voice which, many centuries later, came to be known
as "the Irish brogue", "for it is plain ye know my name without being
told it!"

So saying, with a sudden quick m