hem; and the dastards made no stand
but turned about at once, crying out that the Gods of the Kindreds were
come to aid and none could withstand them. But these fleers thrust
against the band of Romans who were next to them, and bore them aback,
and great was the turmoil; and when Thiodolf's storm fell full upon them,
as it failed not to do, so close were they driven together that scarce
could any man raise his hand for a stroke. For behind them stood a great
company of those valiant spearmen of the Romans, who would not give way
if anywise they might hold it out: and their ranks were closely serried,
shield nigh touching shield, and their faces turned toward the foe; and
so arrayed, though they might die, they scarce knew how to flee. As they
might these thrust and hewed at the fleers, and gave fierce words but few
to the Roman-Goths, driving them back against their foemen: but the
fleers had lost the cunning of their right hands, and they had cast away
their shields and could not defend their very bodies against the wrath of
the kindreds; and when they strove to flee to the right hand or to the
left, they were met by the horns of the half-moon, and the arrows began
to rain in upon them, and from so close were they shot at that no shaft
failed to smite home.

There then were the dastards slain; and their bodies served for a rampart
against the onrush of the Markmen to those Romans who had stood fast. To
them were gathering more and more every minute, and they faced the Goths
steadily with their hard brown visages and gleaming eyes above their iron-
plated shields; not casting their spears, but standing closely together,
silent, but fierce. The light was spread now over all the earth; the
eastern heavens were grown golden-red, flecked here and there with little
crimson clouds: this battle was fallen near silent, but to the North was
great uproar of shouts and cries, and the roaring of the war-horns, and
the shrill blasts of the brazen trumpets.

Now Thiodolf, as his wont was when he saw that all was going well, had
refrained himself of hand-strokes, but was here and there and everywhere
giving heart to his folk, and keeping them in due order, and close array,
lest the Romans should yet come among them. But he watched the ranks of
the foe, and saw how presently they began to spread out beyond his, and
might, if it were not looked to, take them in flank; and he was about to
order his men anew to meet them, when he l