That the shield met again, and I
struck out over his guard and he went down headlong. And at that
his men made a wild rush on me, yelling. At that time I saw
Thorgils, with a great smile on his face, smite one man to his
right with the axe edge, and another on his left with the blunt
back of the weapon as he swung it round, and Evan saved me from a
man who was coming on me from behind. That is all I know of the
fight, save that it seemed that I heard some cry for quarter, for
of a sudden I went down across Erpwald for no reason that I could
tell.
It was full daylight when I came round, and the first thing that my
eyes lit on was the broad face of Erpwald, who sat by my side with
a woebegone look that changed suddenly to a great grin when he saw
me stir and look at him. Then I saw Evan also watching me, with his
arm tied up, and I was fain to laugh at his solemn face of trouble.
Whereon from somewhere behind me Thorgils cried in his great
seafaring voice:
"There now, what did I tell you two owls? His head is too hard to
mind a bit of a knock like that."
Then he came and laughed at me, and I asked what sent me over.
"The pole-axe man hit you with the flat of his unhandy weapon. It
is lucky for you that he was a bungler, however, for there is a
sore dint in your helm."
I sat up and looked round the camp.
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