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 298 MORRIS

And rejoiced and leapt at the Eastmen, and cried

as it met the rings

Of a Giant of King Atli and a murder-wolf of kings; But it quenched its thirst in his entrails, and knew

the heart in his breast, And hearkened the praise of Gunnar, and lingered

not to rest, But fell upon Atli's brother, and stayed not in his

brain; Then he fell, and the King leapt over, and clave a

neck atwain, And leapt o'er the sweep of a pole-axe, and thrust a

lord in the throat, And King Atli's banner-bearer through shield and

hauberk smote; Then he laughed on the huddled East-folk, and

against their war-shields drave While the white swords tossed about him, and that

archer's skull he clave Whom Atli had bought in the Southlands for many

a pound of gold; And the dark-skinned fell upon Gunnar, and over

his war-shield rolled, And cumbered his sword for a season, and the many

blades fell on, And sheared the cloudy helm-crest and rents in his

hauberk won, And the red blood ran from Gunnar; till that Giuki's

sword outburst, As the fire-tongue from the smoulder that the leafy

heap hath nursed,

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