Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 2.djvu/284

 276 CHRONICLE OF THE saga vii. moment his ship was carried by boarding, and every man of his died in his place. The king himself was among the foremost in the fray. So says Sigvat : — " The king's men hewed with hasty sword, — The king urged on the ship to board, — All o'er the decks the wounded lay : Right fierce and bloody was that fray. In Tungen sound, on Jederen shore, The decks were slippery with red gore; Warm blood was dropping in the sound, Where the king's sword was gleaming round." So entirely had Erling's men fallen, that not a man remained standing in his ship but himself alone ; for there was none who asked for quarter, or none who got it if he did ask. There was no opening for flight, for there lay ships all around Erling's ship on every side, and it is told for certain that no man attempted to fly ; and Sigvat says, — " All Erling's men fell in the fray, Off Boken Isle, this hard-fought day. The brave king boarded, onward cheered, And north of Tung the deck was cleared. Erling alone, the brave, the stout, Cut off from all, yet still held out ; High on the stern — a sight to see — In his lone ship alone stood he." Then Erling was attacked both from the forecastle and from the other ships. There was a large space upon the poop which stood high above the other ships, and which nobody could reach but by arrow- shot, or partly with the thrust of spear, but which he always struck from him by parrying. Erling defended himself so manfully, that no example is known of one man having sustained the attack of so many men so long. Yet he never tried to get away, nor asked for quarter. So says Sigvat : — " Skialg's brave son no mercy craves, — The battle's fury still he braves ; The spear-storm, through the air sharp singing, Against his shield was ever ringing.