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,
�� �
