led to the right and left, the
east and west. Without leadership or direction, only keeping in general
toward the lake, they ran singly, in pairs, and in groups. Most of
them, in the darkness of the night, floundered into the marshes, where,
ignorant of the fords or the few higher portions, they sank, and were
either drowned or cut down by their pursuers.

As soon as Hariowald reached the open ground he heard of the King's
fall, to which he listened with a silent nod, and--from Sippilo's
lips--of the Adeling's wound.

"Severe?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"In the shoulder; cut completely through."

"H'm!--Was he carried to his hall?"

"Yes."

"Take the blind old dame Waldrun to him at once from the Holy Mountain.
She knows the strongest herbs, and she also knows when and how they
must be gathered, without impatience or rough handling."

"She is already waiting at his hall."

"How did that happen?"

"She dreamed last night that this battle would end in victory, but that
she nursed my brother, who lay in her lap, sorely wounded. She insisted
that the Sarmatian should lead her to our hall before the battle began.
'I will wait there for the wounded man,' she said."

"But you are bleeding, too, my lad; there, in the arm."

"A spear grazed me. It isn't much."

"Enough for the first time! You are surely tottering."

"An arrow--in the calf of my leg--but it didn't go deep."

"You can scarcely stand. Go home at once, do you hear? I, command it by
the oath of loyalty to the Duke. Waldrun will have a healing herb for
you, too. Go!"

Assuming the direct leadership of the bands formerly commanded by
Ebarbold and Adalo, the Duke spread his whole force into the widest
possible front, to inclose the fugitives, and gave only one order:
"Drive them into the lake!" The command was received with shouts of
exultation, and faithfully obeyed. Hariowald had swung himself upon one
of the numerous riderless horses dashing through and around the camp;
his men eagerly followed his example, and thus the pursuit became a
wild chase on horseback and on foot down the descent from the heights
to the lake.

The blazing camp behind, and the blazing ships before them, cast a
terribly beautiful, flickering light over the savage, warlike scene.
But already, though still very dim, another light was stealing where
the red glare of the torches and the burning tents did not penetrate.
The night was no longer perfectly dark. Far away, in the extr