Then he put forth the might of his arms and the pith of his body, and
hove up that felon and cast him on to the heads of his fellow murder-
carles, so that he rent them and was rent by them. Then War-well
fell on again with the axe, and all the champions of the Dale shouted
and fell on with him, and the foe shrank away; and the Dalesmen
cleared a space five fathoms' length before them, and the spearmen
drew onward and stood on the space whereon the first onslaught had
been.
Then drew those hewers of the Dale together, and forth from the
company came the man that bare the Banner of the Bridget and the
champions gathered round him, and they ordered their ranks and strode
with the Banner before them three times to and fro across the road
athwart the front of the spearmen, and then with a great shout drew
back within the spear-hedge. Albeit five of the champions of the
Dale had been slain outright there, and the more part of them hurt
more or less.
But when all were well within the ranks, once again blew the horn,
and all the spears sank to the rest, and the kindreds drave the
spear-furrow, and a space was swept clear before them, and the cries
and yells of the Dusky Men were so fierce and wild that the rough
voices of the Dalesmen were drowned amidst them.
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