one! ill done!" folk cried; but in his pain Eric moved his foot.

Lo! he was down, but not altogether down, for he did but sit upon his
haunches, and still he clung to Blacktooth's thighs, and twined his legs
about his ankles. Now with all his strength Ospakar strove to force the
head of Brighteyes to the ground, but still he could not, for Eric clung
to him like a creeper to a tree.

"A losing game for Eric," said Asmund, and as he spoke Brighteyes was
pressed back till his yellow hair almost swept the sand.

Then the folk of Ospakar shouted in triumph, but Gudruda cried aloud:

"Be not overthrown, Eric; loose thee and spring aside."

Eric heard, and of a sudden loosed all his grip. He fell on his
outspread hand, then, with a swing sideways and a bound, once more
he stood upon his feet. Ospakar came at him like a bull made mad with
goading, but he could no longer roar aloud. They closed and this time
Eric had the better hold. For a while they struggled round and round
till their feet tore the frozen turf, then once more they stood face
to face. Now the two were almost spent; yet Blacktooth gathered up his
strength and swung Eric from his feet, but he found them again. He grew
mad with rage, and hugged him till Brighteyes was nearly pressed to
death, and black bruises sprang upon the whiteness of his flesh. Ospakar
grew mad, and madder yet, till at length in his fury he fixed his fangs
in Eric's shoulder and bit till the blood spurted.

"Ill kissed, thou rat!" gasped Eric, and with the pain and rush of
blood, his strength came back to him. He shifted his grip swiftly, now
his right hand was beneath the fork of Blacktooth's thigh and his left
on the hollow of Blacktooth's back. Twice he lifted--twice the bulk of
Ospakar rose from the ground--a third mighty lift--so mighty that the
wrapping on Eric's forehead burst, and the blood streamed down his
face--and lo! great Blacktooth flew in air. Up he flew, and backward he
fell into the bank of snow, and was buried there almost to the knees.

VI

HOW ASMUND THE PRIEST WAS BETROTHED TO UNNA

For a moment there was silence, for all that company was wonderstruck at
the greatness of the deed. Then they cheered and cheered again, and to
Eric it seemed that he slept, and the sound of shouting reached him but
faintly, as though he heard through snow. Suddenly he woke and saw a
man rush at him with axe aloft. It was Mord, Ospakar's son, mad at his
father's overthrow. Er