For when flight has broken up the furious
onset, and the straggling part of the fighters wavers, then to those
who prevail in the War is given free scope to slay those who turn their
backs, and they have earned power to smite the harder when fate drives
the renewer of the war headlong. Nor let him whom cowardice deters aim
the spears."

This prophecy was accomplished on the morrow's dawn by a great slaughter
of the Danes. On the next night the warriors of Sweden heard an
utterance like this, none knowing who spake it:

"Why doth Uffe thus defy me with grievous rebellion? He shall pay the
utmost penalty. For he shall be buried and transpierced under showers of
lances, and shall fall lifeless in atonement for his insolent attempt.
Nor shall the guilt of his wanton rancour be unpunished; and, as I
forebode, as soon as he joins battle and fights, the points shall fasten
in his limbs and strike his body everywhere, and his raw gaping wounds
no bandage shall bind up; nor shall any remedy heal over thy wide
gashes."

On that same night the armies fought; when two hairless old men, of
appearance fouler than human, and displaying their horrid baldness in
the twinkling starlight, divided their monstrous efforts with opposing
ardour, one of them being zealous on the Danish side, and the other as
fervent for the Swedes. Hadding was conquered and fled to Helsingland,
where, while washing in the cold sea-water his body which was scorched
with heat, he attacked and cut down with many blows a beast of unknown
kind, and having killed it had it carried into camp. As he was exulting
in this deed a woman met him and addressed him in these words:

"Whether thou tread the fields afoot, or spread canvas overseas, thou
shalt suffer the hate of the gods, and through all the world shalt
behold the elements oppose thy purposes. Afield thou shalt fall, on sea
thou shalt be tossed, an eternal tempest shall attend the steps of
thy wandering, nor shall frost-bind ever quit thy sails; nor shall thy
roof-tree roof thee, but if thou seekest it, it shall fall smitten by
the hurricane; thy herd shall perish of bitter chill. All things shall
be tainted, and shall lament that thy lot is there. Thou shalt be
shunned like a pestilent tetter, nor shall any plague be fouler than
thou. Such chastisement doth the power of heaven mete out to thee, for
truly thy sacrilegious hands have slain one of the dweller's above,
disguised in a shape that was not his: th