no less valiant than
themselves, and they perceived that Thiodolf was a wise Captain; and in
less than two hours' space from the Storm of Dawning they saw those men
coming from the wood with plenteous store of tree-trunks to bridge their
ditch and rampart; and they considered how the day was yet very young, so
that they might look for no shelter from the night-tide; and as for any
aid from their own folk at the war-garth aforesaid, they hoped not for
it, nor had they sent any messenger to the Captain of the garth; nor did
they know as yet of his overthrow on the Ridge.

Now therefore there seemed to be but two choices before them; either to
abide within the rampart they had cast up, or to break out like valiant
men, and either die in the storm, or cleave a way through, whereby they
might come to their kindred and their stronghold south-east of the Mark.

This last way then they chose; or, to say the truth, it was their chief
captain who chose it for them, though they were nothing loth thereto: for
this man was a mocker, yet hot-headed, unstable, and nought wise in war,
and heretofore had his greed minished his courage; yet now, being driven
into a corner, he had courage enough and to spare, but utterly lacked
patience; for it had been better for the Romans to have abided one or two
onsets from the Goths, whereby they who should make the onslaught would
at the least have lost more men than they on whom they should fall,
before they within stormed forth on them; but their pride took away from
the Romans their last chance. But their captain, now that he perceived,
as he thought, that the game was lost and his life come to its last hour
wherein he would have to leave his treasure and pleasure behind him, grew
desperate and therewith most fierce and cruel. So all the captives whom
they had taken (they were but two score and two, for the wounded men they
had slain) he caused to be bound on the chairs of the high-seat clad in
their war-gear with their swords or spears made fast to their right
hands, and their shields to their left hands; and he said that the Goths
should now hold a Thing wherein they should at last take counsel wisely,
and abstain from folly. For he caused store of faggots and small wood
smeared with grease and oil to be cast into the hall that it might be
fired, so that it and the captives should burn up altogether; "So," said
he, "shall we have a fair torch for our funeral fire;" for it was the
custom of