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 306 MORRIS

Nor knit were the brows of Gunnar, nor his song- speech overworn;

But Hogni's mouth kept silence, and oft his heart went forth

To the long, long day of the darkness, and the end of worldly worth.

Loud rose the roar of the East-folk, and the end was

coming at last : Now the foremost locked their shield-rims and the

hindmost over them cast, And nigher they drew and nigher, and their fear

was fading away, For every man of the Niblungs on the shaft-strewn

pavement lay, Save Gunnar the King and Hogni : still the glorious

King up-bore The cloudy shield of the Niblungs set full of shafts

of war; But Hogni's hands had fainted, and his shield had

sunk adown,

So thick with the Eastland spearwood was that ram- part of renown; And hacked and dull were the edges that had rent

the wall of foes : Yet he stood upright by Gunnar before that shielded

close. Nor looked on the foeman's faces as their, wild eyes

drew anear, And their faltering shield-rims clattered with the

remnant of their fear;

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