frain
them, but swam their horses across the swift deeps to join their kindred
to live and die with them. The tale tells that they three fought in the
battles that followed after, and were not slain there, though they
entered them unarmed, but lived long years afterwards: of them need no
more be said.

Now, when the host was but a little past the Galting dwellings men began
to see the flames mingled with the smoke of the burning, and the smoke
itself growing thinner, as though the fire had over-mastered everything
and was consuming itself with its own violence; and somewhat afterwards,
the ground rising, they could see the Bearing meadow and the foemen
thereon: yet a little further, and from the height of another swelling of
the earth they could see the burning houses themselves and the array of
the Romans; so there they stayed and breathed their horses a while. And
they beheld how of the Romans a great company was gathered together in
close array betwixt the ford and the Bearing Hall, but nigher unto the
ford, and these were a short mile from them; but others they saw
streaming out from the burning dwellings, as if their work were done
there, and they could not see that they had any captives with them. Other
Romans there were, and amongst them men in the attire of the Goths,
busied about the river banks, as though they were going to try the ford.

But a little while abode Otter in that place, and then waved his arm and
rode on and all the host followed; and as they drew nigher, Otter, who
was wise in war, beheld the Romans and deemed them a great host, and the
very kernel and main body of them many more than all his company; and
moreover they were duly and well arrayed as men waiting a foe; so he knew
that he must be wary or he would lose himself and all his men.

So he stayed his company when they were about two furlongs from them, and
the main body of the foe stirred not, but horsemen and slingers came
forth from its sides and made on toward the Goths, and in three or four
minutes were within bowshot of them. Then the bowmen of the Goths
slipped down from their horses and bent their bows and nocked their
arrows and let fly, and slew and hurt many of the horsemen, who endured
their shot but for a minute or two and then turned rein and rode back
slowly to their folk, and the slingers came not on very eagerly whereas
they were dealing with men a-horseback, and the bowmen of the Goths also
held them still.

Now t