the
low sun just arisen.

Therewith came another storm of shafts, wherein javelins and spears cast
by the hand were mingled with the arrows: but the Roman ranks had faced
the meadow and the storm which it yielded, swiftly and steadily, and they
stood fast and threw their spears, albeit not with such good aim as might
have been, because of their haste, so that few were slain by them. And
the Roman Captain still loth to fight with the Goths in earnest for no
reward, and still more and more believing that this was the only band of
them that he had to look to, bade those who were nighest the ford not to
tarry for the onset of a few wild riders, but to go their ways into the
water; else by a sudden onrush might the Romans have entangled Otter's
band in their ranks, and so destroyed all. As it was the horsemen fell
not on the Roman ranks full in face, but passing like a storm athwart the
ranks to the right, fell on there where they were in thinnest array (for
they were gathered to the ford as aforesaid), and slew some and drave
some into the deeps and troubled the whole Roman host.

So now the Roman Captain was forced to take new order, and gather all his
men together, and array his men for a hard fight; and by now the mist was
rolling off from the face of the whole meadow and the sun was bright and
hot. His men serried their ranks, and the front rank cast their spears,
and slew both men and horses of the Goths as those rode along their front
casting their javelins, and shooting here and there from behind their
horses if occasion served, or making a shift to send an arrow even as
they sat a-horseback; then the second rank of the Romans would take the
place of the first, and cast in their turn, and they who had taken the
water turned back and took their place behind the others, and many of the
light-armed came with them, and all the mass of them flowed forward
together, looking as if it might never be broken. But Otter would not
abide the shock, since he had lost men and horses, and had no mind to be
caught in the sweep of their net; so he made the sign, and his Company
drew off to right and left, yet keeping within bowshot, so that the
bowmen still loosed at the Romans.

But they for their part might not follow afoot men on untired horses, and
their own horse was on the west side with the baggage, and had it been
there would have been but of little avail, as the Roman Captain knew. So
they stood awhile making grim cou