little hurt: but the rest fled this way and that way into
the thicket, with whom were some of the Burgundians; so there they abide
now as outcasts and men unholy, to be slain as wild-beasts one by one as
we meet them.

"Such then was the battle in Mirkwood. Give me the mead-horn that I may
drink to the living and the dead, and the memory of the dead, and the
deeds of the living that are to be."

So they brought him the horn, and he waved it over his head and drank
again and spake:

"Sixty and three dead men of the Romans we counted there up and down that
oak-glade; and we cast earth over them; and three dead dastards of the
Goths, and we left them for the wolves to deal with. And twenty-five men
of the Romans we took alive to be for hostages if need should be, and
these did we Shielding men, who are not very many, bring aback to the
wain-burg; and the Daylings, who are a great company, were appointed to
enter the wood and be with Thiodolf; and me did Otter bid to bear the
tidings, even as I have told you. And I have not loitered by the way."

Great then was the joy in the Hall; and they took Gisli, and made much of
him, and led him to the bath, and clad him in fine raiment taken from the
coffer which was but seldom opened, because the cloths it held were
precious; and they set a garland of green wheat-ears on his head. Then
they fell to and spread the feast in the hall; and they ate and drank and
were merry.

But as for speeding the tidings, the Hall-Sun sent two women and two
lads, all a-horseback, to bear the words: the women to remember the words
which she taught them carefully, the lads to be handy with the horses, or
in the ford, or the swimming of the deeps, or in the thicket. So they
went their ways, down the water: one pair went on the western side, and
the other crossed Mirkwood-water at the shallows (for being Midsummer the
water was but small), and went along the east side, so that all the
kindred might know of the tidings and rejoice.

Great was the glee in the Hall, though the warriors of the House were
away, and many a song and lay they sang: but amidst the first of the
singing they bethought them of the old woman, and would have bidden her
tell them some tale of times past, since she was so wise in the ancient
lore. But when they sought for her on all sides she was not to be found,
nor could anyone remember seeing her depart from the Hall. But this had
they no call to heed, and the feast end