strings twanged and the cast-spears flew; no man
forebore to shout; each as he might leapt out of the thicket and fell on
with sword and axe and spear, for it was from the bowmen but one shaft
and no more.
"Then might you have seen Thiodolf as he bounded forward like the wild-
cat on the hare, how he had no eyes for any save the Roman captain.
Foemen enough he had round about him after the two first bounds from the
thicket; for the Romans were doing their best to spread, that they might
handle those heavy cast-spears, though they might scarce do it, just come
out of the thicket as they were, and thrust together by that onslaught of
the kindreds falling on from two sides and even somewhat from behind. To
right and left flashed Throng-plough, while Thiodolf himself scarce
seemed to guide it: men fell before him at once, and close at his heels
poured the Wolfing kindred into the gap, and in a minute of time was he
amidst of the throng and face to face with the gold-dight captain.
"What with the sweep of Throng-plough and the Wolfing onrush, there was
space about him for a great stroke; he gave a side-long stroke to his
right and hewed down a tall Burgundian, and then up sprang the white
blade, but ere its edge fell he turned his wrist, and drove the point
through that Captain's throat just above the ending of his hauberk, so
that he fell dead amidst of his folk.
"All the four kindreds were on them now, and amidst them, and needs must
they give way: but stoutly they fought; for surely no other warriors
might have withstood that onslaught of the Markmen for the twinkling of
an eye: but had the Romans had but the space to have spread themselves
out there, so as to handle their shot-weapons, many a woman's son of us
had fallen; for no man shielded himself in his eagerness, but let the
swiftness of the Onset of point-and-edge shield him; which, sooth to say,
is often a good shield, as here was found.
"So those that were unslain and unhurt fled west along the glade, but not
as dastards, and had not Thiodolf followed hard in the chase according to
his wont, they might even yet have made a fresh stand and spread from oak-
tree to oak-tree across the glade: but as it befel, they might not get a
fair offing so as to disentangle themselves and array themselves in good
order side by side; and whereas the Markmen were fleet of foot, and in
the woods they knew, there were a many aliens slain in the chase or taken
alive unhurt or
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