So they turned fiercely on the swordsmen, and chiefly on
Iron-hand, as he entered in amongst them the first of all, hewing to
the right hand and the left, and many a man fell before the Barley-
scythe; for they were but little before him. Yet as one fell another
took his place, and hewed at him with the steel axe and the crooked
sword; and with many strokes they clave his shield and brake his helm
and rent his byrny, while he heeded little save smiting with the
Barley-scythe, and the blood ran from his arm and his shoulder and
his thigh.
But War-well had entered in among the foe on his left hand, and
unshielded hove up a great broad-bladed axe, that clave the iron
helms of the Dusky Men, and rent their horn-scaled byrnies. He was
not very tall, but his shoulders were huge and his arms long, and
nought could abide his stroke. He cleared a ring round Iron-hand,
whose eyes were growing dim as the blood flowed from him, and hewed
three strokes before him; then turned and drew the champion out of
the throng, and gave him into the arms of his fellows to stanch the
blood that drained away the might of his limbs; and then with a great
wordless roar leaped back again on the Dusky Men as the lion leapeth
on the herd of swine; and they shrank away before him; and all the
swordsmen shouted, 'For the Bridge, for the Bridge!' and pressed on
the harder, smiting down all before them.
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