horses enough down yonder," Thrand said, looking
over the meadows below us. "I will go and catch one. We must go
soon, or the Danes will be back."

"No use," said I. "They are between us and safety. I must wait and
take my chance."

With that I missed the sword that I loved, for I had thought of
selling my life dearly if the Danes would slay me.

"Where is sword Foe's Bane?" I cried.

Thrand looked round about me, but could see it not. Then he turned
over one or two of the slain men who lay thickly in the place where
our last stand was made. But he could not find it, until a wounded
man of ours asked what he sought. Thrand told him. Then I noted how
few wounded there were. The sun, nigh to setting now, broke out and
shone athwart the hillside; and it sparkled like the ice heaps on
the long banks that a winter's tide has left by the river, for
everywhere were the mail-clad slain. But the sparkles were steady,
as on the ice, not as on a host that is marching. Ice cold were
those who would need mail no more on Ashingdon hill.

"The sword is under the horse," the man said groaning. And it was
so, and unhurt.

"Get me a sword from off the field," I said, "and hide Foe's Bane
somewhere. Then, if they slay me, take it to Egil, Jarl Thorkel's
foster brother; and if not, I can find it again. I will not have it
taken from me thus."

So Thrand took it and its scabbard and hid both under his cloak,
and went to where there was a patch of woodland at the foot of the
hill--ash and alder growing by the marsh side--some two hundred
yards off.

I closed my eyes and waited till he came back--and he was gone for
some while. Presently he came, and told me that he had hidden it
under a fallen tree trunk, and that the place was dry and safe. He
found me another sword easily enough--and it was notched from point
to hilt. Its edge was not like that of Foe's Bane, but the man
whose it had been had done his duty with it. It was an English
sword.

Now I thought that I could walk again, and stood up and made a step
or two, painfully enough, in truth, but in such wise that I should
soon do better. And then over the brow of the hill the Danes began
to come. They had circled round and I had not noted them, and came
on us from the other side. They were searching among the slain for
their comrades.

Half a dozen of them came towards Thrand and me, and I suppose that
they would have slain me. But my man was ready for them, and took
the s