tremendous force, causing the berserk of Hadeland to stretch
himself on the green sward beside Glumm the Gruff; thus ending the
famous battle of the "Berserkers and the Bold", in regard to which
Thikskul the scald writes:--

"The Bold one and his doughty friend,
Glumm the Gruff of Horlingsend,
Faced, fought, and felled, and bravely slew,
Full twenty men--a berserk crew
Sent by King Harald them to slay--
But much he rued it--lack-a-day!
The heroes cut and hacked them sore,
Hit, split, and slashed them back and fore--
And left them lying in their gore."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

SHOWS THAT ELOQUENCE DOES NOT ALWAYS FLOW WHEN IT IS EXPECTED, AND THAT
GLUMM BEGINS A NEW COURSE OF ACTION.

On examination it was found that Glumm's hurt was not severe. He had
merely been stunned by the force of the blow, and there was a trifling
wound in the scalp from which a little blood flowed. While Kettle held
a helmet full of water, and Erling bathed the wound, the latter said:

"How comes it, Kettle, that ye discovered our straits, and appeared so
fortunately?"

Kettle laughed and said: "The truth is, that accident brought me here.
You know that I had all but wrought out my freedom by this time, but in
consideration of my services in the battle at the Springs, Ulf set me
free at once, and this morning I left him to seek service with King
Harald Haarfager."

"That was thankless of thee," said Erling.

"So said Ulf," rejoined Kettle; "nevertheless, I came off, and was on my
way over the fells to go to the King when I fell in with Hake the
berserk--though I knew not that it was he--and joined him."

Erling frowned, and looked enquiringly at Kettle as he said:

"But what possessed thee, that thou shouldst quit so good a master for
one so bad, and how comes it thou hast so readily turned against the
King's men?"

"Little wonder that you are perplexed," said Kettle, "seeing that ye
know not my motive. The truth is, that I had a plan in my head, which
was to enter Harald's service, that I might act the spy on him, and so
do my best for one who, all the time I have been in thraldom, has been
as kind to me as if he had been my own father."

"Thou meanest Ulf?" said Erling.

"I do," replied Kettle with enthusiasm, "and I'd willingly die for him
if need be. As ye know full well, it needs no wizard to tell that such
men as Ulf and your father will not easily be made to bend their necks
to the King's yoke; an