Erling the Bold Part 8

Ulf and his friends and house-carles were soon ready to embark, for in those days the Norseman kept his weapons ready to his hands, being accustomed to sudden a.s.saults and frequent alarms. They streamed out of the hall, and while some collected stones, to be used as missiles, others ran down to the sh.o.r.e to launch the s.h.i.+ps. Meanwhile Ulf, Haldor, Guttorm, and other chief men held a rapid consultation, as they stood and watched the a.s.sembling of the men of the district.

It was evident that the split arrow had done its duty. From the gra.s.sy mound on which they stood could be seen, on the one hand, the dark recesses of Horlingdal, which were lost in the mists of distance among the glaciers on the fells; and, on the other hand, the blue fiord with branching inlets and numerous holms, while the skerries of the coast filled up the background--looming faint and far off on the distant sea.

In whatever direction the eye was turned armed men were seen. From every distant gorge and valley on the fells they issued, singly, or in twos and threes. As they descended the dale they formed into groups and larger bands; and when they gained the more level grounds around Haldorstede, the heavy tread of their hastening footsteps could be distinctly heard, while the sun--for although near midnight now it was still above the horizon--flashed from hundreds of javelins, spears, swords, and bills, glittered on steel headpieces and the rims of s.h.i.+elds, or trickled fitfully on suits of scale armour and s.h.i.+rts of ring mail. On the fiord, boats came shooting forth from every inlet or creek, making their appearance from the base of precipitous cliffs or dark-mouthed caves as if the very mountains were bringing forth warriors to aid in repelling the foe. These were more sombre than those on the fells, because the sun had set to them by reason of the towering hills, and the fiord was shrouded in deepest gloom. But all in the approaching host--on water and land--were armed from head to foot, and all converged towards Ulfstede.

When they were all a.s.sembled they numbered five hundred fighting men-- and a stouter or more valiant band never went forth to war. Six longs.h.i.+ps were sufficient to embark them. Three of these were of the largest size--having thirty oars on each side, and carrying a hundred men. One of them belonged to Haldor, one to Ulf, and one--besides several smaller s.h.i.+ps--to Guttorm, who chanced to be on viking cruise at the time he had turned aside to visit his kinsman. The warlike old man could scarce conceal his satisfaction at his unexpected good fortune in being so opportunely at hand when hard blows were likely to be going!

Two of the other s.h.i.+ps were cutters, similar to Erling's Swan, and carrying sixty men each, and one was a little larger, holding about eighty men. It belonged to Glumm the Gruff; whose gruffness, however, had abated considerably, now that there was a prospect of what we moderns would call "letting the steam off" in a vigorous manner.

Soon the oars were dipped in the fiord, and the sails were set, for a light favourable wind was blowing. In a short time the fleet rounded the ness, and came in sight of the ground where Erling and Skarpedin were preparing to renew the combat.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

THE TALE RETURNS TO THE SPRINGS--DESCRIBES A GREAT LAND FIGHT, AND TELLS OF A PECULIAR STYLE OF EXTENDING MERCY TO THE VANQUISHED.

In a previous chapter we left Skarpedin discussing with his chiefs the best mode of attacking the small band of his opponents in the pa.s.s of the Springs. They had just come to a decision, and were about to act on it, when they suddenly beheld six wars.h.i.+ps sweeping round the ness.

"Now will we have to change our plans," said Skarpedin.

Thorvold agreed with this, and counselled getting on board their s.h.i.+ps and meeting the enemy on the water; but the other objected, because he knew that while his men were in the act of embarking, Erling would sally forth and kill many of them before they could get away.

"Methinks," said he, "I will take forty of my best men, and try to entice that fox out of his hole, before he has time to see the s.h.i.+ps."

"Grief only will come of that," says Thorvold.

Skarpedin did not reply, but choosing forty of his stoutest carles he went to the pa.s.s and defied Erling to come out and fight.

"Now here am I, Erling, with forty men. Wilt thou come forth? or is thy t.i.tle of Bold ill bestowed, seeing thou hast more men than I?"

"Ill should I deserve the t.i.tle," replies Erling, "if I were to meet thee with superior force."

With that he chose thirty men, and, running down to the plain, gave the a.s.sault so fiercely that men fell fast on every side, and the Danes gave back a little. When they saw this, and that Erling and Th.o.r.er hewed men down wherever they went, the Danes made a s.h.i.+eld circle round Skarpedin, as was the custom when kings went into battle; because they knew that if he fell there would be no one so worthy to guide them in the fight with the approaching longs.h.i.+ps. Thus they retreated, fighting. When Erling and his men had gone far enough, they returned to the pa.s.s, and cheered loudly as they went, both because of the joy of victory, and because they saw the wars.h.i.+ps of their friends coming into the bay.

King Haldor and his companions at once ran their s.h.i.+ps on the beach near the mouth of the river, and, landing, drew them up, intending to fight on sh.o.r.e. Skarpedin did not try to prevent this, for he was a bold man, and thought that with so large a force he could well manage to beat the Northmen, if they would fight on level ground. He therefore drew up his men in order of battle at one end of the plain, and Haldor the Fierce, to whom was a.s.signed the chief command, drew up the Northmen at the other end. Erling joined them with his band, and then it was seen that the two armies were not equal--that of the Northmen being a little smaller than the other.

Then Haldor said, "Let us draw up in a long line that they may not turn our flanks, as they have most men."

This was done, and Haldor advanced into the plain and set up his banner.

The Danes in like manner advanced and planted their banner, and both armies rushed to the attack, which was very sharp and b.l.o.o.d.y. Wherever the battle raged most fiercely there King Haldor and Erling were seen, for they were taller by half a head than most other men. Being clothed alike in almost every respect, they looked more like brothers than father and son. Each wore a gilt helmet, and carried a long s.h.i.+eld, the centre of which was painted white, but round the edge was a rim of burnished steel. Each had a sword by his side, and carried a javelin to throw, but both depended chiefly on their favourite weapon, the battle-axe, for, being unusually strong, they knew that few men could withstand the weight of a blow from that. The defensive armour of father and son was also the same--a s.h.i.+rt of leather, sewed all over with small steel rings. Their legs were clothed in armour of the same kind, and a mantle of cloth hung from the shoulders of each.

Most of the chief men on both sides were armed in a similar way, though not quite so richly, and with various modifications; for instance, the helmet of Thorvold was of plain steel, and for ornament had the tail of the ptarmigan as its crest. Skarpedin's, on the other hand, was quite plain, but partly gilded; his armour was of pieces of steel like fish scales sewed on a leathern s.h.i.+rt, and over his shoulders he wore as a mantle the skin of a wolf. His chief weapon was a bill--a sort of hook or short scythe fixed to a pole, and it was very deadly in his hands.

Most of the carles and thralls were content to wear thick s.h.i.+rts of wolf and other skins, which were found to offer good resistance to a sword-cut, and some of them had portions of armour of various kinds.

Their arms were spears, bows, arrows with stone heads, javelins, swords, bills, and battle-axes and s.h.i.+elds.

When both lines met there was a hard fight. The combatants first threw their spears and javelins, and then drew their swords and went at each other in the greatest fury. In the centre Haldor and Erling went together in advance of their banner, cutting down on both sides of them.

Old Guttorm Stoutheart went in advance of the right wing, also hewing down right and left. With him went Kettle Flatnose, for that ambitious thrall could not be made to remember his position, and was always putting himself in front of his betters in war; yet it is due to him to say that he kept modestly in the background in time of peace. To these was opposed Thorvold, with many of the stoutest men among the Danes.

Now, old Guttorm and Kettle pressed on so hard that they were almost separated from their men; and while Guttorm was engaged with a very tall and strong man, whom he had wounded severely more than once, another stout fellow came between him and Kettle, and made a cut at him with his sword. Guttorm did not observe him, and it seemed as if the old Stoutheart should get his death-wound there; but the thrall chanced to see what was going on. He fought with a sort of hook, like a reaping-hook, fixed at the end of a spear handle, with the cutting edge inside. The men of Horlingdal used to laugh at Kettle because of his fondness for this weapon, which was one of his own contriving; but when they did so, he was wont to reply that it was better than most other weapons, because it could not only make his friends laugh, but his enemies cry!

With this hook the thrall made a quick blow at the Dane; the point of it went down through his helmet into his brain, and that was his deathblow.

"Well done, Kettle!" cried old Guttorm, who had just cleft the skull of his opponent with his sword.

At this Thorvold ran forward and said:

"Well done it may be, but well had it been for the doer had it not been done. Come on, thou flatnose!"

"Now, thou must be a remarkably clever man," retorted Kettle, with much of that rich tone of voice which, many centuries later, came to be known as "the Irish brogue", "for it is plain ye know my name without being told it!"

So saying, with a sudden quick movement he got his hook round Thorvold's neck.

"That is an ugly grip," said Thorvold, making a fierce cut at the haft with his sword; but Kettle pulled the hook to him, and with it came the head, and that was Thorvold's end.

While this was going on at the right wing, the left wing was led by Ulf of Romsdal and Glumm the Gruff; but Ulf's men were not so good as Haldor's men, for he was not so wise a man as Haldor, and did not manage his house so well.

It was a common saying among the people of Horlingdal that Haldor had under him the most valiant men in Norway--and as the master was, so were the men. Haldor never went to sea with less than a fully-manned s.h.i.+p of thirty benches of rowers, and had other large vessels and men to man them as well. One of his s.h.i.+ps had thirty-two benches of rowers, and could carry at least two hundred men. He had always at home on his farm thirty slaves or thralls, besides other serving people, and about two hundred house-carles. He used to give his thralls a certain day's work; but after it was done he gave them leave and leisure to work in the twilight and at night for themselves. He gave them arable land to sow corn in, and let them apply their crops to their own use. He fixed a certain quant.i.ty of work, by the doing of which his slaves might work themselves free; and this put so much heart into them that many of them worked themselves free in one year, and all who had any luck or pluck could work themselves free in three years. Ulf did this too, but he was not so wise nor yet so kind in his way of doing it. With the money thus procured Haldor bought other slaves. Some of his freed people he taught to work in the herring fishery; to others he taught some handicraft; in short, he helped all of them to prosperity; so that many of the best of them remained fast by their old master, although free to take service where they chose. Thus it was that his men were better than those of his neighbour.

Ulf's men were, nevertheless, good stout fellows, and they fought valiantly; but it so happened that the wing of the enemy to which they were opposed was commanded by Skarpedin, of whom it was said that he was equal to any six men. In spite, therefore, of the courage and the strength of Ulf and Glumm, the Northmen in that part of the field began slowly to give back. Ulf and Glumm were so maddened at this that they called their men cowards, and resolved to go forward till they should fall. Uttering their war-cry, they made a desperate charge, hewing down men like stalks of corn; but although this caused the Danes to give way a little, they could not advance, not being well backed, but stood fighting, and merely kept their ground.

Now it had chanced shortly before this, that Haldor stayed his hand and drew back with Erling. They went out from the front of the fight, and observed the left wing giving way.

"Come, let us aid them," cried Haldor.

Saying this he ran to the left wing, with Erling by his side. They two uttered a war-cry that rose high above the din of battle like a roar of thunder, and, rus.h.i.+ng to the front, fell upon the foe. Their gilt helmets rose above the crowd, and their ponderous axes went swinging round their heads, continually cras.h.i.+ng down on the skulls of the Danes.

With four such men as Haldor, Erling, Ulf and Glumm in front, the left wing soon regained its lost ground and drove back the Danes. Nothing could withstand the shock. Skarpedin saw what had occurred, and immediately hastened to the spot where Haldor stood, sweeping down all who stood in his way.

"I have been searching for thee, Erling," he cried, going up to Haldor, and launching a javelin.

Haldor caught it on his s.h.i.+eld, which it pierced through, but did him no hurt.

"Mistaken thou art, but thou hast found me now," cried Erling, thrusting his father aside and leaping upon the Dane.

Skarpedin changed his bill to his left hand, drew his sword, and made such a blow at his adversary, that the point cut right through his s.h.i.+eld. With a quick turn of the s.h.i.+eld, Erling broke the sword short off at the hilt. Skarpedin seized his bill and thrust so fiercely that it also went through the s.h.i.+eld and stuck fast. Erling forced the lower end or point of his s.h.i.+eld down into the earth, and so held it fast, dropped his axe, drew his sword, and made it flash so quick round his head that no one could see the blade. It fell upon Skarpedin's neck and gave him a grievous wound, cutting right through his armour and deep into his shoulder blade.

A great cry arose at this. The Danes made a rush towards their chief, and succeeded in dragging him out of the fight. They put him on his s.h.i.+eld and bore him off to his s.h.i.+p, which was launched immediately.

This was the turning-point in the day. Everywhere the Danes fled to their s.h.i.+ps pursued by the victors. Some managed to launch their vessels, others were not so fortunate, and many fell fighting, while a few were taken prisoners.

Foreseeing that this would be the result, Haldor and Erling called off their men, hastened on board their s.h.i.+ps, and gave chase, while the rest of the force looked after the prisoners and the booty, and dressed their own and their comrades' wounds.

"A b.l.o.o.d.y day this," said Ulf to Guttorm, as the latter came up, wiping the blade of his sword.

"I have seen worse," observed the old warrior, carefully returning his weapon to its scabbard.

"The Danes will long remember it," observed Glumm. "The ravens will have a good feast to-night."

"And Odin's halls a few more tenants," said Guttorm:

"The Danes came here all filled with greed, And left their flesh the crows to feed.