st at
once, and if any in the front were slain, his fellow behind him took his
place.

"So now the storm of war fell at once upon our folk, and swift and fierce
as was their onslaught yet were a many slain and hurt or ever they came
to the piles aforesaid. Then saw they death before them and heeded it
nought, but tore up the piles and dashed through them, and fell in on
those valiant footmen. Short is the tale to tell: wheresoever a sword or
spear of the Goths was upraised there were three upon him, and saith Toti
of the Beamings, who was hurt and crawled away and yet lives, that on
Heriulf there were six at first and then more; and he took no thought of
shielding himself, but raised up the Wolf's-sister and hewed as the
woodman in the thicket, when night cometh and hunger is on him. There
fell Heriulf the Ancient and many a man of the Beamings and the Elkings
with him, and many a Roman.

"But amidst the slain and the hurt our wedge-array moved forward slowly
now, warily shielded against the plummets and shafts on either side; and
when the Romans saw our unbroken array, and Thiodolf the first with
Throng-plough naked in his hand, they chased not such men of ours unhurt
or little hurt, as drew aback from before them: so these we took amongst
us, and when we had gotten all we might, and held a grim face to the foe,
we drew aback little by little, still facing them till we were out of
shot of their spears, though the shot of the arrows and the
sling-plummets ceased not wholly from us. Thus ended Heriulf's Storm."

Then he rested from his speaking for a while, and none said aught, but
they gazed on him as if he bore with him a picture of the battle, and
many of the women wept silently for Heriulf, and yet more of the younger
ones were wounded to the heart when they thought of the young men of the
Elkings, and the Beamings, since with both those houses they had
affinity; and they lamented the loves that they had lost, and would have
asked concerning their own speech-friends had they durst. But they held
their peace till the tale was told out to an end.

Then Egil spake again:

"No long while had worn by in Heriulf's Storm, and though men's hearts
were nothing daunted, but rather angered by what had befallen, yet would
Thiodolf wear away the time somewhat more, since he hoped for succour
from the Wain-burg and the Wood; and he would not that any of these
Romans should escape us, but would give them all to Tyr, and t