some of us will be in Valhalla to-night."

Saying this Skarpedin drew up his men in order of battle on the little
plain before referred to, and advanced to the attack. Erling, on the
other hand, posted his men among the rocks in such a way that they could
command the approach to the pass, which their leader with a few picked
men defended.

On perceiving the intention of the Danes to attack him, Erling's heart
was glad, because he now felt sure that to some extent he had them in
his power. If they had, on his first appearance, taken to their ships,
they might have easily escaped, or some of the smaller vessels might
have pulled up the river and attacked his ship, which, in that case,
would have had to meet them on unequal terms; but, now that they were
about to attack him on land, he knew that he could keep them in play as
long as he pleased, and that if they should, on the appearance of
reinforcements, again make for their ships, he could effectively harass
them, and retard their embarkation.

Meditating on these things the young Norseman stood in front of his men
leaning on his battle-axe, and calmly surveying the approaching foe
until they were within a few yards of him.

"Thorer," he said at length, raising his weapon slowly to his shoulder,
"take thou the man with the black beard, and leave yonder fellow with
the red hair to me."

Thorer drew his sword and glanced along its bright blade without
replying. Indeed, there was scarce time for reply. Next moment the
combatants uttered a loud shout and met with a dire crash. For some
time the clash of steel, the yells of maddened men, the shrieks of the
wounded, and the wails of the dying, resounded in horrible commotion
among the echoing cliffs. The wisdom of Erling's tactics soon became
apparent. It was not until the onset was made, and the battle fairly
begun, that the men whom he had placed among the rocks above the
approach to the pass began to act. These now sent down such a shower of
huge stones and masses of rock that many of the foe were killed, and by
degrees a gap was made, so that those who were on the plain dared not
advance to the succour of those who were fighting in the pass.

Seeing this, Erling uttered his war-cry, and, collecting his men
together, acted on the offensive. Wherever his battle-axe swung, or
Thorer's sword gleamed, there men fell, and others gave way, till at
last they were driven completely out of the pass and partly across