Part 3 (1/2)

Liot laid his own s.h.i.+p alongside Estein's, Osmund attacked Thorkel's, and the other vessels forced their bows forward wherever they saw an opening. The Norwegians manned their bulwarks s.h.i.+eld to s.h.i.+eld, and fought with the courage of despair. Twice Liot, backed by his boldest men, tried by a headlong rush to force himself on board, and twice he was beaten back. A third time he charged, and selecting a place where the defenders seemed thinnest, struck down a couple of men with two swinging blows of his axe, and sprang on to the deck. Three or four men had already followed him, a cry of victory rose from the Orkney Vikings, and for a moment the fate of the battle seemed decided, when a huge stone hurtled through the air, and falling on Liot's s.h.i.+eld forced it down on his helmet and him to his knees. It was the work of Ulf, captain of the forecastle; and roaring like a bull, the old Viking followed his stone. Estein sprang from the p.o.o.p and clove one man to the shoulders. Another fell to Ulf's sword. The half- stunned Liot was seized by one of his followers, and bundled back on board his s.h.i.+p; and for the time the day was saved.

”After them! after them, Ulf!” shouted Estein, and twenty bold Norwegians followed their leader in the wake of Liot's retreating boarding party. Their foes gave way right and left, the gangways round the sides were cleared, and, despite the threats of Liot, his men began to spring from forecastle and quarter-deck into the s.h.i.+ps behind.

”Forward, king's men! forward, men of Estein!” roared Ulf.

”Wait for me, Liot!” cried Estein, charging the p.o.o.p with his red s.h.i.+eld before him.” A bairn is after thee!”

Helgi, who had kept at his shoulder throughout, seized his arm.

”They are giving way on Thorkel's s.h.i.+p. Osmund is on board. If we return not, the s.h.i.+p is cleared.”

With a gesture of despair Estein turned.

”Back, men, back! Thorkel needs all his friends, I fear,” he cried; and to Helgi he said, ”The day is lost. We can but sell our lives dearly now.”

They came back too late. Already Thorkel's men were pouring on board Estein's s.h.i.+p, with Osmund of the Hooknose at their heels.

Thorkel himself lay stark across the bulwarks, his face to his foes, and a great spear-head standing out of his back.

It was now but a question of time. With a single s.h.i.+p, surrounded on all sides, and weary with storm and battle, there could be only one fate for Estein's diminished band. Nevertheless, they stood their ground as stoutly and cheerfully as if the fray were just beginning. Finding that all efforts to board were useless, the Orkney Vikings confined themselves for some time to keeping up an incessant fire of darts and stones. One by one the defenders dropped at their posts, and at last, when widening gaps appeared in the line of s.h.i.+elds, Liot and Osmund boarded together, each from his own side.

”Back to the p.o.o.p, Helgi!” Estein cried. ”To the p.o.o.p, men! we cannot hold the gangways. One tired man cannot fight with five fresh.”

Last of all his men, he stepped from the gangway that ran round the low and open waist of the s.h.i.+p, up to the decked p.o.o.p, his red s.h.i.+eld stuck with darts like a pincus.h.i.+on with pins.

In the forecastle, old Ulf still held his own, backed by some half-dozen stout survivors out of all those who had gone into battle with him in the morning.

”My hour is come at last, Thorolf,” he said to the upland giant, who seemed to be disengaging something from his coat of ring-mail.

”I shall have tales of a merry fight to tell to Odin tonight. But before I fall I shall slay me one of those two Vikings. Wilt thou follow me, Thorolf, to the gangways, and then to Valhalla?”

With a violent wrench the giant drew a spearhead from his side, and his blood spurted over Ulf, as he swayed on his feet.

”I go before,” he said, and fell on the deck with a clatter of steel.

”There died a brave man! Now, comrades, after him to Odin!”

And with that the forecastle captain sprang down on the gangway, and knocking men off into the waist in his impetuous rush, swung his battle-axe round his head and aimed a terrific blow at Osmund Hooknose. Quick as lightning Osmund raised his s.h.i.+eld and thrust at his foe with his sword. The point of the blade pa.s.sed in at his breast and out between his shoulders, and at the same instant the battle-axe fell. The edge of the s.h.i.+eld was cut through like paper, and the blade coming fair on the nape of the Hooknose's neck, the bodies of the two champions rolled together off the gangway.

Round the p.o.o.p the last struggle raged. Spent and wounded as they were, Estein's little band showed a bold front to their foes, and around the red s.h.i.+eld of their leader their lives were dearly sold.

Then for a few minutes came a lull in the fight, and men could breathe for a s.p.a.ce.

”The next onset will be the last,” said Estein grimly.

”Their s.h.i.+ps are sheering off!” exclaimed one.

”'Tis we who are leaving them,” said another.