ftly that no man saw
him, except Skallagrim only. Forward sprang the Gudruda, freed from her
burden, and rushed away before the wind, leaving Eric and Skallagrim
alone upon the Raven's prow.

"Now we are in an evil plight," said Eric, "the cable has parted!"

"Ay," answered Skallagrim, "and that losel Hall hath parted it! I saw
his axe fall."

XIV

HOW ERIC DREAMED A DREAM

Now, when the men of Ospakar, who were gathered on the poop of the
Raven, saw what had come about, they shouted aloud and made ready to
slay the pair. But Eric and Skallagrim clambered to the mast and got
their backs against it, and swiftly made themselves fast with a rope, so
that they might not fall with the rolling of the ship. Then the people
of Ospakar came on to cut them down.

But this was no easy task, for they might scarcely stand, and they could
not shoot with the bow. Moreover, Eric and Skallagrim, being bound
to the mast, had the use of both hands and were minded to die hard.
Therefore Ospakar's folks got but one thing by their onslaught, and
that was death, for three of their number fell beneath the long sweep
of Whitefire, and one bowed before the axe of Skallagrim. Then they drew
back and strove to throw spears at these two, but they flew wide because
of the rolling of the vessel. One spear struck the mast near the head of
Skallagrim. He drew it out, and, waiting till the ship steadied herself
in the trough of the sea, hurled it at a knot of Ospakar's thralls, and
a man got his death from it. After that they threw no more spears.

Thence once more the crew came on with swords and axes, but
faint-heartedly, and the end of it was that they lost some more men dead
and wounded and fell back again.

Skallagrim mocked at them with bitter words, and one of them, made mad
by his scoffing, cast a heavy ballast-stone at him. It fell upon his
shoulder and numbed him.

"Now I am unmeet for fight, lord," said Skallagrim, "for my right arm is
dead and I can scarcely hold my axe."

"That is ill, then," said Eric, "for we have little help, except from
each other, and I, too, am well-nigh spent. Well, we have done a great
deed and now it is time to rest."

"My left arm is yet whole, lord, and I can make shift for a while with
it. Cut loose the cord before they bait us to death, and let us rush
upon these wolves and fall fighting."

"A good counsel," said Eric, "and a quick end; but stay a while: what
plan have they now?"

Now th