Search      Hot    Newest Novel
HOME > Children's Novel > Erling the Bold > Chapter Twenty Two.
Font Size:【Large】【Middle】【Small】 Add Bookmark  
Chapter Twenty Two.
 Describes a Great Sea Fight and its Consequences.  
Harald Fairhair stood on the poop of the great Dragon, and held the steering oar. When he saw the fleet of the Sea-kings approaching, he called Jarl Rongvold to him and said—
 
“Methinks, jarl, that I now see the end of this war with the small kings. It is easy to perceive that the utmost force they are able to raise is here. Now, I intend to beat them to-day, and break their strength for ever. But when the battle is over, many of them will seek to escape. I would prevent that as much as may be.”
 
The King paused, as if engaged in deep thought.
 
“How do you propose to do it, sire?”
 
“By means of a boom,” said the King. “Go thou, summon hither the trustiest man in the fleet for such a purpose, let him detach as many men and ships as he deems needful, and go into yonder small fiord where there is a pine wood on the hillside. There let him make a long and strong boom of timber, while we are engaged in the fight. I will drive as many of the ships as I can into Horlingfiord, and when that is done let him come out and stretch the boom right across, so that none of them shall escape. And, harkee, see that the man thou choosest for this duty is an able man, and does it well, else shall his head be lopped off.”
 
After issuing this command the King resigned the helm, and ordered his banner to be set up, which was done immediately. At the same time his opponents shook out their banners, and both fleets were put in order of battle.
 
As both were arrayed much in the same way, it will be sufficient to describe the arrangements made by Haldor the Fierce, who had been elected commander-in-chief of the small kings’ fleet.
 
When Haldor saw the King’s banner displayed, he unfurled his own in the centre of the fleet, and arranged his force for attack right against it. Alongside of him on the right was Ulf of Romsdal with thirty ships, and on his left was old Guttorm Stoutheart with twenty-five ships. These composed the centre of the line. Kettle Flatnose commanded the men on the forecastle in Ulf’s longship, and Thorer the Thick was over those in Haldor’s vessel.
 
The right wing was commanded by Solve Klofe, under whom were Eric of Hordaland with fifteen ships; Sulke of Rogaland and his brother Sote with thirty ships, as well as Kiotve of Agder, and some others with many ships—all of large size.
 
The left wing was led by King Hakon of Drontheim, under whom were Roald Ryg and Hadd the Hard, and Thor Haklang, with a good many ships. Solve Klofe laid his ships against King Harald’s left wing, which was under Eindrid, son of M?rnef, and Hakon laid his against King Sigurd of Royer, who led Harald’s right wing. All the chiefs on either side laid their ships according as they were bold or well equipped. When all was ready, they bound the ships together by the stems, and advanced towards each other at the sound of the war-trumpet. But as the fleets were so large, many of the smaller vessels remained loose, and, as it were, went about skirmishing independently. These were laid forward in the fight, according to the courage of their commanders, which was very unequal.
 
Among these roving warriors were our heroes Erling and Glumm, each in one of his own small cutters, with about forty men.
 
As soon as the war-blast sounded the men rode forward to the attack, and soon narrowed the small space that lay between the hostile fleets. Then Haldor and the other commanders went down to the sides of their ships, where the men stood so thick that their shields touched all round, and encouraged them to fight well for the freedom of old Norway—to which they replied with loud huzzas. Immediately after the air was darkened with a cloud of arrows, and the fight began.
 
There were scalds in both fleets at that fight, these afterwards wrote a poem descriptive of it, part of which we now quote:
 
    “With falcon eye and courage bright,
 
    Haldor the Fierce prepared for fight;
 
    ‘Hand up the arms to one and all!’
 
    He cries. ‘My men, we’ll win or fall!
 
    Sooner than fly, heaped on each other,
 
    Each man will fall across his brother!’
 
    Thus spake, and through his vessels’ throng
 
    His mighty warship moved along.
 
    He ran her gaily to the front,
 
    To meet the coming battle’s brunt—
 
    Then gave the word the ships to bind
 
    And shake his banner to the wind.
 
    Our oars were stowed, our lances high
 
    Swung to and fro athwart the sky.
 
    Haldor the Fierce went through the ranks,
 
    Drawn up beside the rowers’ banks,
 
    Where rows of shields seemed to enclose
 
    The ship’s deck from the boarding foes,
 
    Encouraging his chosen crew,
 
    He tells his brave lads to stand true,
 
    And rows against—while arrows sing—
 
    The Dragon of the tyrant King.
 
    With glowing hearts and loud huzzas,
 
    His men lay on in freedom’s cause.
 
    The sea-steeds foam; they plunge and rock:
 
    The warriors meet in battle shock;
 
    The ring-linked coats of strongest mail
 
    Could not withstand the iron hail.
 
    The fire of battle raged around;
 
    Odin’s steel shirts flew all unbound.
 
    The pelting shower of stone and steel,
 
    Caused many a Norseman stout to reel,
 
    The red blood poured like summer rain;
 
    The foam was scarlet on the main;
 
    But, all unmoved like oak in wood,
 
    Silent and grim fierce Haldor stood,
 
    Until his axe could reach the foe—
 
    Then—swift he thundered blow on blow.
 
    And ever, as his axe came down,
 
    It cleft or crushed another crown.
 
    Elsewhere the chiefs on either side
 
    Fought gallantly above the tide.
 
    King Hakon pressed King Sigurd sore,
 
    And Ulf made Hake the berserk roar,
 
    And Kettle Flatnose dared to spring
 
    On board the ship of Norway’s King.
 
    Old Guttorm Stoutheart’s mighty shout
 
    Above the din was heard throughout,
 
    And Solve Klofe, ’gainst M?rnef’s son,
 
    Slew right and left till day was done.
 
    While, all around the loose ships rowed—
 
    Where’er they went the red stream flowed.
 
    Chief among these was Erling bold
 
    And Glumm the Gruff, of whom ’tis told
 
    They rushed in thickest of the fray—
 
    Whatever part the line gave way—
 
    And twice, and thrice, retrieved the day.
 
    But heart, and strength, and courage true,
 
    Could not avail where one fought two.
 
    King Harald, foremost in the fight,
 
    With flashing sword, resistless might,
 
    Pushed on and slew, and dyed with red
 
    The bright steel cap on many a head.
 
    Against the hero’s shield in vain,
 
    The arrow-storm sends forth its rain.
 
    The javelins and spear-thrusts fail
 
    To pierce his coat of ringèd mail.
 
    The King stands on the blood-stained deck;
 
    Trampling on many a foeman’s neck;
 
    And high above the dinning stound
 
    Of helm and axe, and ringing sound
 
    Of blade, and shield, and raven’s cry
 
    Is heard the shout of—‘Victory!’”
 
In this poem the scald gives only an outline of the great fight. Let us follow more closely the action of those in whom we are peculiarly interested.
 
For more than two hours the battle raged with unabated fury—victory inclining to neither side; but as the day advanced, the energy with which Solve Klofe pushed the right wing began to tell, and the King’s men gave way a little at that part. Harald, however, was on the alert. He sent some of his loose ships to reinforce them, and so regained his position. A short time after that, some of Solve’s ships were boarded, but at that moment Erling and Glumm chanced to pass in their cutters—for they kept always close together—and they gave such a shout, while they turned and pulled to the rescue, that the men, who were wavering, took heart again and drove the foe overboard. Just then the ship on the right of Solve Klofe’s vessel was also boarded by the enemy. Seeing this, Erling called to Glumm that there was need of succour there, and they rowed swiftly to the spot.
 
“Art thou hard pressed, Solve?” asked Erling, as he ranged up to the stern of his friend’s ship.
 
Solve was so furious that he could not answer, but pointed to the ship next his, and sprang on the edge of his own, intending to leap into that of the enemy, and get to the forefront. At the same time Eindrid, son of M?rnef, stood up on the high foredeck of his ship with a large stone in his hand. He was a very powerful man, and hurled the stone with such force against Solve’s shield that it battered him down, and he fell back into his own ship much stunned. Seeing this, Erling bade two of his men follow him, leaped into Solve’s ship, and thence into the one where the fight was sharpest. Glumm followed him closely with his long two-handed sword, and these two fought so dreadfully that Eindrid’s men were driven back into their own ship again. Then Erling ran to the place where the high stern was wedged between two of the enemy’s ships, and sprang on the forecastle of Eindrid’s ship.
 
“Thou art a bold man!” said Eindrid, turning on him.
 
“That may be as thou sayest,” replied Erling, at the same time catching a thrust on his shield, which he returned with such interest with his axe that Eindrid’s head was nearly severed from his body. At the same moment Glumm cut down a famous berserk who ran at him, and in a few minutes they had cleared the deck of the ship, and taken possession of it. But this was scarcely accomplished when a cry arose that the left wing under King Hakon was giving way.
 
At once Erling and Glumm ran back to their cutters, and made towards that part of the line, followed by several of the loose ships. Here they found that King Hakon was very hard pressed by Sigurd of Royer, so they pushed in among the ships, and soon Erling’s well-known war-cry was heard, and his tall form was seen sweeping men down before him with his great axe, like a mower cutting grass. Glumm, however, did not keep close to him this time, but made direct for Hakon’s ship, for he remembered that he was Ada’s father, and thought he might do him some service.
 
As he was coming near he saw Swankie, a famous berserk, fighting furiously on board Hakon’s ship, and roaring, as was the wont of berserkers sometimes, like a wild bull. Hakon’s men had formed a shield-circle round their chief, and were defending him bravely; but the berserk was an uncommonly stout man, very brisk and active, and exceedingly furious, as well as dexterous with his weapons. He slew so many men that the shield-circle was broken, and he made at Hakon just as Glumm leaped into the ship at the stern. King Hakon was a stout man and brave, but he was getting old, and not so active as he used to be. Nevertheless he met Swankie like a man, and dealt him a blow on his helmet which made him stagger. The berserk uttered a fearful roar, and struck at Hakon so fiercely that he split the upper part of his shield and cut open his helmet. Hakon fell, but before he could repeat the blow Glumm was upon him.
 
“What! is it thou, Swankie?” he cried. “Dog, methought I had killed thee long ago!”
 
“That is yet to be done,” cried the berserk, leaping upon Glumm with a sweeping blow of his sword. Glumm stooped quickly, and the blow passed over his head; then he fetched a sudden cut at Swankie, and split him down from the neck to the waist, saying, “It is done now, methinks,” as he drew out his sword. Glumm did not go forward, but let his men drive back the foe, while he turned and kneeled beside Hakon.
 
“Has the dog hurt thee badly?” he asked, raising the old warrior’s head on his knee, and speaking in a voice of almost womanly tenderness.
 
Hakon made an effort to speak, but for some time was unable to do so, and Glumm held his shield over him to keep off the stones and arrows which fell thickly around them. After a few moments Hakon wiped away the blood which flowed from a deep wound in his forehead, and looked up wildly in Glumm’s face. He tried again to speak, and Glumm, misunderstanding the few words he muttered, said: “Thou art already avenged, King Hakon; Swankie the berserk is dead.”
 
The dying man made another effort to speak, and was successful.
 
“That concerns me little, Glumm. Thou lovest Ada, I know. This ring—take it to her, say her father’s last thoughts were of her. Be a good husband, Glumm. The brooch—see.”
 
“Which?” asked Glumm, looking at several silver brooches with which the old warrior’s armour was fastened—“this one on thy breast?”
 
“Aye, take it—it was—her mother’s.”
 
The warrior’s spirit seemed to be relieved when he had said this. He sank down into a state resembling sleep. Once or twice afterwards he opened his eyes and gazed up into the bright sky with a doubtful yet earnest and enquiring gaze. Gradually the breathing became fainter, until it ceased altogether, and Glumm saw that the old man was dead.
 
Fastening the brooch on his own broad chest, and putting the ring on his finger, Glumm rose, seized his sword, and rushed again into the thick of the fight with tenfold more fury than he had yet displayed, and ere long the danger that threatened the left wing was for the time averted.
 
Meanwhile in the centre there was an equally uncertain and obstinate conflict—for the chiefs on either side were mighty men of valour. Wherever Old Guttorm’s voice was heard, there victory inclined. Haldor, on the other hand, did not shout, but he laid about him with such wild ferocity that many men quailed at the very sight of him, and wherever he went he was victorious. It was some time before he managed to get alongside of King Harald Fairhair’s ship, but when he did so the fight became sharp in the extreme.
 
All the men in King Harald’s ship, except the berserks, were clad in coats of ring mail, and wore foreign helmets, and most of them had white shields. Besides, as has been said, each man was celebrated for personal strength and daring, so that none of those who were opposed to them could make head against them. The arrows and spears fell harmless from their shields, casques, and coats of mail, and it was only now and then—as when a shaft happened to enter a man’s eye—that any fell. When Haldor’s forecastle men attacked the berserkers on the high fore deck of the Dragon, the fighting was terrible, for the berserkers all roared aloud and fought with the wild fury of madmen, and so fierce was their onslaught that Haldor’s men were forced at first to give back. But Thorer the Thic............
Join or Log In! You need to log in to continue reading
   
 

Login into Your Account

Email: 
Password: 
  Remember me on this computer.

All The Data From The Network AND User Upload, If Infringement, Please Contact Us To Delete! Contact Us
About Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Tag List | Recent Search  
©2010-2018 wenovel.com, All Rights Reserved