KING OLAF'S WAR-HORNS.

"STRIKE the sails!" King Olaf said;
Never shall men of mine take flight:
Never away from battle I fled,
Never away from my foes!

Let God dispose

Of my life in the fight!"

"Sound the horns!" said Olaf the King;
And suddenly through the drifting brume

The blare of the horns began to ring,
Like the terrible trumpet shock

Of Regnarock,
On the Day of Doom!

Louder and louder the war-horns sang
Over the level floor of the flood;

All the sails came down with a clang,
And there in the mist overhead

The sun hung red

As a drop of blood.

In front came Svend, the King of the Danes, Sweeping down with his fifty rowers;

To the right, the Swedish king with his thanes; And on board of the Iron-Beard

Earl Eric steered

On the left with his oars.

"These soft Danes and Swedes," said the King, "At home with their wives had better stay, Than come within reach of my Serpent's sting; But where Eric the Norseman leads

Heroic deeds

Will be done to-day!"

Then as together the vessels crashed,

Eric severed the cables of hide

With which King Olaf's ships were lashed,

And left them to drive and drift

With the currents swift

Of the outward tide.

EINAR TAMBERSKELVER.

Ir was Einar Tamberskelver
Stood beside the mast;
From his yew-bow, tipped with silver
Flew the arrows fast;
Aimed at Eric unavailing,

As he sat concealed,

Half behind the quarter-railing,

Half behind his shield.

First an arrow struck the tiller,
Just above his head;

"Sing, O Eyvind Skaldaspiller,"
Then Earl Eric said,
"Sing the song of Hakon dying,
Sing his funeral wail!"
And another arrow flying

Grazed his coat of mail.

Turning to a Lapland yeoman,
As the arrow passed,

Said Earl Eric, "Shoot that bowman
Standing by the mast."

Sooner than the word was spoken

Flew the yeoman's shaft;

Einar's bow in twain was broken,

Einar only laughed.

"What was that?" said Olaf, standing On the quarter-deck.

"Something heard I like the stranding Of a shattered wreck." Einar then, the arrow taking

From the loosened string,

Answered, "That was Norway breaking

From thy hand, O king!"

"Thou art but a poor diviner,"

Straightway Olaf said;

"Take my bow, and swifter, Einar,

Let thy shafts be sped."