look or gesture that they
were either fatigued or depressed. As they drew near, Erling singled
out Hake, and Glumm went towards a tall, powerful man, who stood ready
with a huge sword resting on his shoulder, as if eager to begin the
combat. Glumm had arranged in his own mind that that man and he should
die together. Beside him stood a warrior with a battle-axe, and a steel
helmet on his head. Before Glumm could reach his intended victim the
tall man's sword flashed in the air like a gleam of light, and the head
with the steel helmet went spinning on the ground!

"That's the way that Kettle Flatnose pays off old scores," cried the
Irish thrall, turning suddenly upon his late friends, and assailing one
of them with such fury that he cut him down in a few seconds, and then
ran to draw off one of the two who had attacked Erling. Glumm's
amazement at this was, as may well be believed, excessive; but it was
nothing to the intensity of his joy when he found suddenly that the
fight was now equalised, and that there stood only one man to oppose
him. His heart leaped up. New life gave spring to his muscles; and to
these new feelings he gave vent in one loud shout, as he sprang upon his
adversary and cleft him to the chin with one sweep of his sword!

Meanwhile Kettle Flatnose had killed his man; and he was about to come
up behind Hake and sweep off his head, when he was seized by Glumm and
dragged violently back.

"Would ye rob Erling of the honour of slaying this noted berserk?" he
said sternly.

"Truly," replied Kettle, somewhat abashed, "I did not know that he was
noted; and as for the honour of it, I do think that Erling seems to have
got honour enough to-day (if all this be his work) to content him for
some time to come; but as ye will," he added, putting the point of his
sword on the ground, and resting his arms on the hilt.

Glumm also leaned on his sword; and standing thus, these two watched the
fight.

Now, it may perhaps seem to some readers that as the other men had been
disposed of so summarily, it was strange that Erling the Bold should be
so long in dispatching this one; but for our hero's credit, we must
point out several facts which may have perhaps been overlooked. In the
first place, Kettle Flatnose was a thoroughly fresh man when he began
the fight, and although he killed two men, it must be remembered that
one of these was slain while off his guard. Then, Glumm did indeed slay
his man promptly