her.

The king believed the same, and whilst Halfred grasped at the blazing
woman to rescue her, Kling Hartstein with a cry of "Down thou
scoundrel," struck him a sharp sword stroke on the forehead, so that he
fell stunned.

And with a second blow he would have slain him, had not Eigil and
Hartvik sprung up and quickly borne away their blood brother.

Thus it came to pass that from the very outset Halfred could neither
avert nor control this catastrophe--He alone could have done it.

Now, however, the burning woman and the flaming straw filled everyone
with sudden frenzy.

The people from Tiunderland rose up in fury when they saw their king's
daughter fall flaming on the crackling straw; and Halfred's comrades
drew their swords when they saw their lord fall bleeding. And flame and
smoke, shrieks of women, and avenging shouts of men filled the hall.

Then broke loose a fighting and devastation in the hall so gigantic,
say the heathen people, that the like shall never be seen again until
the twilight of the gods, when all demons and giants, goblins and
elves, gnomes, menkind, and pigmies, shall slay each other, and heaven,
earth and hell shall perish in flames.

Harthild in her burning clothes, was carried out by her shrieking
women. One only was missing. Sudha sprang through flames and arms to
where Halfred lay on his blood-brethren's knees.

"Dead," she cried; "Slain by Sudha. Then share we death, if not life."
And she drew Halfred's dagger from his belt, and plunged it in her own
breast.

"Slain Halfred! by my babbling tongue. Sudha slain!" cried Vandrad the
Skald. "I will avenge thee, Halfred."

And he tore a casting spear from the trophies hanging on the
flame-wreathed wooden pillars, and hurled it whistling at the temples
of King Hartstein, so that he fell dead.

Wildly shouted the people of Tiunderland, and their near kindred from
West Gothaland, for vengeance for Harthild and King Hartstein.

And the Jarl Ambiorn, from West Gothaland, seized in both hands a heavy
brazen double-handled tankard, and dashed it down on Vandrad's
forehead, so that he fell.

But when the Princes from East Gothaland saw this, that their mortal
foes aided the men from Upsala, then they fell, Helgi and Helgrimr,
with furious blows upon both their old enemies, and the guests from
Upsala.

And now could none any longer give a thought to extinguishing the
blazing straw upon the floor, or the quickly burning silken and woolle