But that let
loose the men who had been held back from us; and now we were overborne
by numbers, and we began to go back. That was the worst part of the
whole fight, and the hardest hour of all the battle, as may be supposed,
for the wedge grew closer, as it was forced together by sheer weight.
None ever broke into it.
Presently our rear was on the water's edge, and it seemed likely that in
crossing there might be a breaking of the line; and when he saw that,
Havelok called to me, and he went to the front with the courtmen round
him. It was good to hear the cheers of our men as they saw the dancing
banner above the fight, and beneath it, in the bright sun, the
gold-circled helm of their king. The Lindseymen drew back a foot's pace
as they saw the giant who came on them, and I heard some call that this
was Curan of Grimsby, as if in wonder. Then we had to fight hard, and
Sigurd fell back past me, with a wound on his shoulder where Alsi's
sword had glanced from the helm. No life had been left to Sigurd had a
better hand wielded the weapon; but he was not badly hurt. I could not
see Alsi anywhere, nor Eglaf.
Steadily the numbers drove us back, though before Havelok was always a
space into which men hardly dared to come. The wedge was pushed away
from us, and we had to fall back with it, until we crossed the stream;
and there Sigurd swung the massed men into line, and then came the first
pause in the fight.
Pages:
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350