thern belt, studded with silver ornaments, from
which hung a short dagger. A cross belt of somewhat similar make hung
from his right shoulder, and supported a two-edged sword of immense
weight, which was quite as strong, though not nearly so long, as that
which he had forged for Glumm. It was intended for a single-handed
weapon, though men of smaller size might have been constrained, in
attempting to wield it, to make use of both hands. The youth's lower
limbs were clothed in closely-fitting leather leggings, and a pair of
untanned leather shoes, laced with a single thong, protected his feet.
On his head he wore a small skull-cap, or helmet, of burnished steel,
from the top of which rose a pair of hawk's wings expanded, as if in the
act of flight. No gloves or gauntlets covered his hands, but on his
left arm hung a large shield, shaped somewhat like an elongated heart,
with a sharp point at its lower end. Its top touched his shoulder, and
the lower part reached to his knee.

This shield was made of several plies of thick bull-hide, with an outer
coat of iron--the whole being riveted firmly together with iron studs.
It was painted pure white, without device of any kind, but there was a
band of azure blue round it, near the margin--the rim itself being of
polished steel. In addition to his enormous axe, sword, and dagger,
Erling carried at his back a short bow and a quiver full of arrows.

The whole of this war gear bore evidence of being cherished with the
utmost care and solicitude. Every ring on the tunic was polished as
highly as the metal would admit of, so that the light appeared to
trickle over it as its wearer moved. The helmet shone like a globe of
quicksilver, and lines of light gleamed on the burnished edge of the
shield, or sparkled on the ornamental points of the more precious metals
with which the various parts of his armour were decorated. Above all
hung a loose mantle or cloak of dark-blue cloth, which was fastened on
the right shoulder with a large circular brooch of silver.

The weight of this panoply was enormous, but long habit had so inured
the young Norseman to the burthen of his armour that he moved under it
as lightly as if it had been no heavier than his ordinary habiliments.
Indeed, so little did it impede his movements that he could spring over
chasms and mountain streams almost as well with as without it; and it
was one of the boasts of his admiring friends that "he could leap his
ow