om his left
arm, and he was hurt in many places: he had broken Ivar's sword in the
medley, and now bore in his hand a strong Roman short-sword, and his feet
stood bloody on the worn earth anigh the Man's-door.

He looked into the scornful eyes of the Roman lord for a little minute
and then laughed aloud, and therewithal, leaping on him with one spring,
turned sideways, and dealt him a great buffet on his ear with his unarmed
left hand, just as the Roman thrust at him with his sword, so that the
Captain staggered forward on to the next man following, which was
Wolfkettle the eager warrior, who thrust him through with his sword and
shoved him aside as they all strode into the hall together. Howbeit no
sword fell from the Roman Captain as he fell, for Thiodolf's side bore it
into the Hall of the Wolfings.

Most wrathful were those men, and went hastily, for their Roof was full
of smoke, and the flames flickered about the pillars and the wall here
and there, and crept up to the windows aloft; yet was it not wholly or
fiercely burning; for the Roman fire-raisers had been hurried and hasty
in their work. Straightway then Steinulf and Grani led the others off at
a run towards the loft and the water; but Thiodolf, who went slowly and
painfully, looked and beheld on the dais those men bound for the burning,
and he went quietly, and as a man who has been sick, and is weak, up on
to the dais, and said:

"Be of good cheer, O brothers, for the kindreds have vanquished the
foemen, and the end of strife is come."

His voice sounded strange and sweet to them amidst the turmoil of the
fight without; he laid down his sword on the table, and drew a little
sharp knife from his girdle and cut their bonds one by one and loosed
them with his blood-stained hands; and each one as he loosed him he
kissed and said to him, "Brother, go help those who are quenching the
fire; this is the bidding of the War-duke."

But as he loosed one after other he was longer and longer about it, and
his words were slower. At last he came to the man who was bound in his
own high-seat close under the place of the wondrous Lamp, the Hall-Sun,
and he was the only one left bound; that man was of the Wormings and was
named Elfric; he loosed him and was long about it; and when he was done
he smiled on him and kissed him, and said to him:

"Arise, brother! go help the quenchers of the fire, and leave to me this
my chair, for I am weary: and if thou wilt, thou may