unshielded sides were turned to the Romans, nor durst
Otter scatter his bowmen out from the wedge-array, lest the Romans, who
were more than they, should enter in amongst them. Ever he gazed
earnestly on the main battle of the Romans, and what they were doing, and
presently it became clear to him that they would outgo him and come to
the ford, and then he wotted well that they would set on him just when
their light-armed were on his flank and his rearward, and then it would
go hard but they would break their array and all would be lost: therefore
he slacked his pace and went very slowly and the Romans went none the
slower for that; but their light-armed grew bolder and drew more together
as they came nigher to the Goths, as though they would give them an
onset; but just at that nick of time Otter passed the word down the
ranks, and, waving his sword, turned sharply to the right and fell with
all the wedge-array on the clustering throng of the light-armed, and his
bowmen spread out now from the right flank of the wedge-array, and shot
sharp and swift and the bowmen on the left flank ran forward swiftly till
they had cleared the wedge-array and were on the flank of the light-armed
Romans; and they, what between the onset of the swordsmen and spearmen of
the Goths, and their sharp arrows, knew not which way to turn, and a
great slaughter befell amongst them, and they of them were the happiest
who might save themselves by their feet.

Now after this storm, and after these men had been thrust away, Otter
stayed not, but swept round about the field toward the horses; and indeed
he looked to it that the main-battle of the Romans should follow him, but
they did not, but stayed still to receive the fleers of their
light-armed. And this indeed was the goodhap of the Goths; for they were
somewhat disordered by their chase of the light-armed, and they smote and
spared not, their hearts being full of bitter wrath, as might well be;
for even as they turned on the Romans, they beheld the great roof of the
Bearings fall in over the burned hall, and a great shower of sparks burst
up from its fall, and there were the ragged gables left standing, licked
by little tongues of flame which could not take hold of them because of
the clay which filled the spaces between the great timbers and was daubed
over them. And they saw that all the other houses were either alight or
smouldering, down to the smallest cot of a thrall, and even the barns