for
the life of a bandit.

The party was plainly unprepared to meet a knight fully armed. They had
expected rather to find some defenceless merchant, or even woodman, whom
they might easily overcome and as easily rob.

They fell back an instant before the noble form of Sigurd, but the next,
true to their calling, rushed upon him, shouting to him to surrender and
yield up whatever of value he might possess on his person.

Sigurd wasted not a word in replying to this insolent challenge, but
defended himself against the sudden assault. At the first onslaught the
two bandits were foremost, who thought to bear him down by sheer weight.
But Sigurd, stepping back a pace, caught the knife of the one on his
shield, while with his own sword he ran his comrade through the body.
So quickly was it done, that the soldier, advancing wildly to the
attack, stumbled and fell over the body of the prostrate man; and before
he could rise again to his feet, a second thrust from Sigurd's sword had
laid low the other bandit beside his comrade.

The soldier, therefore, was the only adversary that remained, and of him
Sigurd thought to make short work; but in this he judged wrongly, for
this robber proved to be a man of extraordinary strength and agility,
while Sigurd himself was faint and jaded with his long and painful
march.

For an hour that afternoon the woods resounded with the clash of swords.
The two men spoke not a word, but fought with teeth set and lips
closed. Once and again, by common consent, they halted, leaning on
their swords for breath, but as often closed again more furiously than
ever. It surprised Sigurd to find an adversary so resolute and
dextrous. At another time it might have pleased him, for he loved
courage even in an adversary; but now, when every hour lost meant peril
to Ulf, his bosom swelled with wrath and disappointment. By force of
superior weight he drove his adversary back inch by inch, till at the
end of an hour the two stood some yards distant from the spot where the
fight began.

Yet, though falling back, the soldier kept a bold guard, and while not
inflicting any wound on his enemy, was able to ward off all blows aimed
at himself.

At length, when for a moment Sigurd seemed to flag in the combat, the
man gathered himself together for one mighty stroke at the hero's head.
It fell like a thunderbolt but Sigurd saw it in time and caught it on
his uplifted sword, and with such force that the sold