Glumm, also throwing down his helmet and
stripping off his armour. "Ha! there are more of them than we counted
on--six."

As he spoke six horsemen were seen approaching through the distant
glades of the forest.

The two friends ran to the fountain before mentioned, slaked their
thirst, and hastily bathed their heads and faces; then, seizing their
swords and shields, and leaving the rest of their armour on the sward,
they ran to a rugged part of the ground, where horses could not act.
Mounting to the highest point of a rocky mound, they awaited the
approach of their foes.

Quickly they came forward, their faces blazing with wrath as they rode
over the field of battle, and saw their slaughtered comrades. Hake the
berserk rode in front, and, advancing as near as possible to the place
where his enemies stood, said tauntingly:

"What, are ye so fearful of only six men, after having slain so many?"

"Small meat would we make of thee and thy men, so that the crows might
pick it easily, if we were only half as fresh as ye are," said Erling;
"but we chose to rest here awhile, so if ye would fight ye must come
hither to us on foot."

"Nay, but methinks it would be well for both parties," returned the
berserk, "that they should fight on level ground."

Erling and Glumm had thrown themselves on the rocks to get as much rest
as possible before the inevitable combat that was still before them.
They consulted for a few seconds, and then the former replied:

"We will gladly come down, if ye will meet us on foot."

"Agreed," cried the berserk, leaping off his horse, and leading it to a
neighbouring tree, to which he fastened it. The others followed his
example. Then our two heroes arose and stretched themselves.

"It has been a good fight," said Erling. "Men will talk of it in days
to come, after we are far away in the world of spirits."

There was deep pathos in the tone of the young warrior as he spoke these
words, and cast his eyes upwards to the blue vault as if he sought to
penetrate that spirit world, on the threshold of which he believed
himself to stand.

"If we had but one hour's rest, or one other man on our side; but--" He
stopped suddenly, for the six men now stood in the middle of the little
plain where Erling and Glumm had fought so long and so valiantly that
day, and awaited their coming.

Hastily descending the mound, the two friends strode boldly towards
their opponents, scorning to let them see by