lpless.

"He's sped!" gasped Ragnar.

I thought for a flash of time, and--oh! well do I remember that moment:
the huge beast foaming at the jaws and Steinar held to its breast as a
little girl holds a doll; the still, snow-laden trees, on the top of one
of which sat a small bird spreading its tail in jerks; the red light
of evening, and about us the great silences of the sky above and of the
lonely forest beneath. It all comes back to me--I can see it now quite
clearly; yes, even the bird flitting to another twig, and there again
spreading its tail to some invisible mate. Then I made up my mind what
to do.

"Not yet!" I cried. "Keep it in play," and, drawing my short and heavy
sword, I plunged through the birch boughs to get behind the bear. Ragnar
understood. He threw his cap into the brute's face, and then, after it
had growled at him awhile, just as it dropped its great jaws to crunch
Steinar, he found a bough and thrust it between them.

By now I was behind the bear, and, smiting at its right leg below the
knee, severed the tendon. Down it came, still hugging Steinar. I smote
again with all my strength, and cut into its spine above the tail,
paralysing it. It was a great blow, as it need to be to cleave the thick
hair and hide, and my sword broke in the backbone, so that, like Ragnar,
now I was weaponless. The forepart of the bear rolled about in the snow,
although its after half was still.

Then once more it seemed to bethink itself of Steinar, who lay unmoving
and senseless. Stretching out a paw, it dragged him towards its champing
jaws. Ragnar leapt upon its back and struck at it with his knife,
thereby only maddening it the more. I ran in and grasped Steinar, whom
the bear was again hugging to its breast. Seeing me, it loosed Steinar,
whom I dragged away and cast behind me, but in the effort I slipped and
fell forward. The bear smote at me, and its mighty forearm--well for me
that it was not its claws--struck me upon the side of the head and sent
me crashing into a tree-top to the left. Five paces I flew before my
body touched the boughs, and there I lay quiet.

I suppose that Ragnar told me what passed after this while I was
senseless. At least, I know that the bear began to die, for my spear had
pierced some artery in its throat, and all the talk which followed, as
well as though I heard it with my ears. It roared and roared, vomiting
blood and stretching out its claws after Steinar as Ragnar dragged him