forth," says Skallagrim, "and heal
the hole with kisses."

Now Ospakar, writhing with his hurt, shouts to his men to slay the two
of them, and then the fight begins.

One rushes at Eric and smites at him with an axe. The blow falls on his
shield, and shears off the side of it, then strikes the byrnie beneath,
but lightly. In answer Eric sweeps low at him with Whitefire, and cuts
his leg from under him between knee and thigh, and he falls and dies.

Another rushes in. Down flashes Whitefire before he can smite, and
the carle's shield is cloven through. Then he chooses to draw back and
fights no more that day.

Skallagrim slays a man, and wounds another sore. A tall chief with a red
scar on his face comes at Brighteyes. Twice he feints at the head while
Eric watches, then lowers the sword beneath the cover of his shield,
and sweeps suddenly at Eric's legs. Brighteyes leaps high into the air,
smiting downward with Whitefire as he leaps, and presently that chief is
dead, shorn through shoulder to breast.

Now Skallagrim slays another man, and grows Baresark. He looks so fierce
that men fall back from him.

Two rush on Eric, one from either side. The sword of him on the right
falls on his shield and sinks in, but Brighteyes twists the shorn shield
so strongly that the sword is wrenched from the smiter's hand. Now
the other sword is aloft above him, and that had been Eric's bane, but
Skallagrim glances round and sees it about to fall. He has no time to
turn, but dashes the hammer of his axe backward. It falls full on the
swordsman's head, and the head is shattered.

"That was well done," says Eric as the sword goes down.

"Not so ill but it might be worse," growls Skallagrim.

Presently all men drew back from those two, for they have had enough of
Whitefire and the Baresark's axe.

Ospakar sits on his horse, his shield pinned to his shoulder and curses
aloud.

"Close in, you cowards!" he yells, "close in and cut them down!" but no
man stirs.

Then Eric mocks them. "There are but two of us," he says, "will no man
try a game with me? Let it not be sung that twenty were overcome of
two."

Now Ospakar's son Mord hears, and he grows mad with rage. He holds his
shield aloft and rushes on. But Gizur the Lawman does not come, for
Gizur was a coward.

Skallagrim turns to meet Mord, but Eric says:--

"This one for me, comrade," and steps forward.

Mord strikes a mighty blow. Eric's shield is all shattered and cann