y on either
bulwark. He boarded one and cleared it, losing many men. Then the crew
of the other rushed on to him as he regained his own ship. The end of it
was that my father and all his folk were killed, but only after they had
slain the most of their foes, for they died fighting very bravely.

Between Ragnar's ship and that of Athalbrand himself the fray was more
even. Ragnar boarded Athalbrand and was driven back. Athalbrand boarded
Ragnar and was driven back. Then for the second time Ragnar boarded
Athalbrand with those men who were left to him. In the narrow waist of
Athalbrand's ship a mighty battle was fought, and here at last Ragnar
and Athalbrand found themselves face to face.

They hacked at each other with their axes, till at length Ragnar, with
a fearful blow, drove in Athalbrand's helmet and clove his skull in two,
so that he died. But even as he fell, a man, it may have been friend
or foe, for the moon was sinking and the darkness grew dense, thrust a
spear into Ragnar's back, and he was carried, dying, to his own vessel
by those who remained to him.

Then that fight ceased, for all Athalbrand's people were dead or wounded
to the death. Meanwhile, on the right, I was fighting the ship that
was commanded by Steinar, for it was fated that we two should be thrown
together. Here also the struggle was desperate. Steinar and his company
boarded at the prow, but I and my men, charging up both boards, drove
them back again. In that charge it is true that I, Olaf, fighting madly,
as was my wont when roused, killed three of the Lesso folk with the
Wanderer's sword. Still I see them falling one by one. Followed by six
of my people, I sprang on to the raised prow of Steinar's ship. Just
then the grapnels parted, and there we were left, defending ourselves
as best we could. My mates got their oars and once more brought our
boat alongside. Grapple they could not, because the irons were lost.
Therefore, in obedience to the order which I shouted to them from the
high prow of the enemy's ship, they began to hurl their ballast stones
into her, and thus stove out her bottom, so that in the end she filled
and sank.

Even while she was down the fray went on. Nearly all my people were
down; indeed but two remained to me when Steinar, not knowing who I was,
rushed up and, having lost his sword, gripped me round the middle.
We wrestled, but Steinar, who was the stronger, forced me back to the
bulwarks and so overboard. Into t