he Englishmen
could easily lay their blows at them; and many fell from weariness,
and died without a wound. Thus almost all the chief men fell among the
Norway people. This happened towards evening; and then it went, as one
might expect, that all had not the same fate, for many fled, and were
lucky enough to escape in various ways; and darkness fell before the
slaughter was altogether ended.

98. OF STYRKAR THE MARSHAL.

Styrkar, King Harald Sigurdson's marshal, a gallant man, escaped upon a
horse, on which he rode away in the evening. It was blowing a cold wind,
and Styrkar had not much other clothing upon him but his shirt, and
had a helmet on his head, and a drawn sword in his hand. As soon as his
weariness was over, he began to feel cold. A waggoner met him in a lined
skin-coat. Styrkar asks him, "Wilt thou sell thy coat, friend?"

"Not to thee," says the peasant: "thou art a Northman; that I can hear
by thy tongue."

Styrkar replies, "If I were a Northman, what wouldst thou do?"

"I would kill thee," replied the peasant; "but as ill luck would have
it, I have no weapon just now by me that would do it."

Then Styrkar says, "As you can't kill me, friend, I shall try if I can't
kill you." And with that he swung his sword, and struck him on the neck,
so that his head came off. He then took the skin-coat, sprang on his
horse, and rode down to the strand.

Olaf Haraldson had not gone on land with the others, and when he
heard of his father's fall he made ready to sail away with the men who
remained.

99. OF WILLIAM THE BASTARD.

When the Earl of Rouen, William the Bastard, heard of his relation, King
Edward's, death, and also that Harald Godwinson was chosen, crowned,
and consecrated king of England, it appeared to him that he had a
better right to the kingdom of England than Harald, by reason of the
relationship between him and King Edward. He thought, also, that he
had grounds for avenging the affront that Harald had put upon him
with respect to his daughter. From all these grounds William gathered
together a great army in Normandy, and had many men, and sufficient
transport-shipping. The day that he rode out of the castle to his ships,
and had mounted his horse, his wife came to him, and wanted to speak
with him; but when he saw her he struck at her with his heel, and set
his spurs so deep into her breast that she fell down dead; and the
earl rode on to his ships, and went with his ships over to