But while all was in confusion among the main body
of the invaders on the eastern bank of the river, while men were buckling
on their armour and gathering in their ranks, the cloud of war rolled
rapidly down the descent, and with a mighty shout the English vanguard fell
upon the Norsemen on the western bank.
Valiantly they fought, but there was no resisting the solid array of the
English housecarls, or Thingmen as they were also called. Taken altogether
unprepared, and for the most part without their defensive armour, the
Norsemen could offer no successful resistance to the English host. Great
numbers were killed; others were driven headlong across the bridge or were
drowned in the stream, which is said to have been literally choked with
dead. But for a time the advance of the English was stayed; for one
Norseman, a man of great stature and prodigious strength, took post in the
middle of the narrow bridge and barred the way to the English host. But one
foe could attack him at a time, and so great was his strength and prowess
that it is said forty Englishmen fell under the mighty blows of his
two-handed sword, and at last he was only over-powered by one who made his
way along beneath the timbers of the bridge and stabbed him with his spear
from below.
His gallant stand, however, had sufficed to give his countrymen time to
complete their preparations, and the shield-wall of the Norsemen stretched
across the gentle ascent from the bridge.
Pages:
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402