e far distance.

"Ha!" exclaimed Erling, "Harald doubtless _did_ send twenty men after
all, for here come the rest of them. It is good fortune that a berserk
is seldom a good leader--he should not have divided his force. These
eight must go down, friend Glumm, before the others come up, else are
our days numbered."

The expression of Glumm's blood-stained visage spoke volumes, but his
tongue uttered never a word. Indeed, there was no time for further
speech, for the eight men, who had conversed hurriedly together for a
few seconds, were now approaching. The two friends did not await the
attack, but, setting spurs to their horses, dashed straight at them.
Two were overturned in the shock, and their horses rolled on them, so
that they never rose again. On the right Erling hewed down one man, and
on the left his friend cut down another. They reined up, turned round,
and charged again, but the four who were left were too wise to withstand
the shock; they swerved aside. In doing so the foot of one of their
horses caught in a bramble. He stumbled, and the rider was thrown
violently against a tree and stunned, so that he could not remount.
This was fortunate, for Erling and Glumm were becoming exhausted, and
the three men who still opposed them were comparatively fresh. One of
these suddenly charged Glumm, and killed his horse. Glumm leaped up,
and, drawing his knife, stabbed the horse of the other to the heart. As
it fell he caught his rider by the right wrist, and with a sudden wrench
dislocated his arm. Erling meanwhile disabled one of the others, and
gave the third such a severe wound that he thought it best to seek
safety in flight.

Erling now turned to Glumm, and asked if he thought it would be best to
ride away from the men who were still to come up, or to remain and fight
them also.

"If there be five more," said Glumm, leaning against a tree, and
removing his helmet in order to wipe his brow, "then is our last battle
fought, for, although I have that in me which could manage to slay one,
I have not strength for two, much less three. Besides, my good steed is
dead, and we have no time to catch one of the others."

"Now will I become a berserk," cried Erling, casting his gilt helmet on
the ground and undoing the fastenings of his coat of mail. "Armour is
good when a man is strong, but when he is worn out it is only an
encumbrance. I counsel thee to follow my example."

"It is not a bad one," said