ion from their journey; but he took the man on board, and was
instructed by him how to order his army. For this man, in arranging
the system of the columns, used to take special care that the front row
consisted of two, the second of four, while the third increased and was
made up to eight, and likewise each row was double that in front of it.
Also the old man bade the wings of the slingers go back to the extremity
of the line, and put with them the ranks of the archers. So when the
squadrons were arranged in the wedge, he stood himself behind the
warriors, and from the wallet which was slung round his neck drew an
arbalist. This seemed small at first, but soon projected with more
prolonged tip, and accommodated ten arrows to its string at once, which
were shot all at once at the enemy in a brisk volley, and inflicted as
many wounds. Then the men of Perm, quitting arms for cunning, by their
spells loosed the sky in clouds of rain, and melted the joyous visage of
the air in dismal drenching showers. But the old man, on the other hand,
drove back with a cloud the heavy mass of storm which had arisen,
and checked the dripping rain by this barrier of mist. Thus Hadding
prevailed. But the old man, when he parted from him, foretold that the
death whereby he would perish would be inflicted, not by the might of an
enemy, but by his own hand. Also he forbade him to prefer obscure wars
to such as were glorious, and border wars to those remote.

Hadding, after leaving him, was bidden by Uffe to Upsala on pretence of
a interview; but lost all his escort by treachery, and made his escape
sheltered by the night. For when the Danes sought to leave the house
into which they had been gathered on pretext of a banquet, they found
one awaiting them, who mowed off the head of each of them with his
sword as it was thrust out of the door. For this wrongful act Hadding
retaliated and slew Uffe; but put away his hatred and consigned his body
to a sepulchre of notable handiwork, thus avowing the greatness of his
foe by his pains to beautify his tomb, and decking in death with costly
distinctions the man whom he used to pursue in his life with hot enmity.
Then, to win the hearts of the people he had subdued, he appointed
Hunding, the brother of Uffe, over the realm, that the sovereignty might
seem to be maintained in the house of Asmund, and not to have passed
into the hand of a stranger.

Thus his enemy was now removed, and he passed several yea