Volume Iii Part 58 (2/2)

And, but little damaged, Miriam's admirer came to a stop, slightly stunned by his fall.

The Herulian Suartua was brandis.h.i.+ng his sword over Teja's head, when Aligern, springing forward, struck his arm clean off his shoulder.

Suartua screamed and fell.

Kabades, who tried to rip up the King's body with his long and crooked scimetar, had his brains dashed out by old Hildebrand's stone axe.

Teja, again become master of his battle-axe, and rid of his nearest foes, now sprang forward to attack in his turn. He hurled his axe at a man in a boar-helmet--that is, a helmet decorated with the head and tusks of a wild boar. It was Epurulf, the Alamannian, who fell backwards to the ground.

Above Teja bent Vadomar, Epurulf's kinsman, and tried to possess himself of the Gothic King's terrible weapon; but Teja was upon him in a moment, his short sword in his right hand. It flashed, and Vadomar fell dead upon the corpse of his friend.

The two Franks, Chlotachar and Bertchramn, hurried up at the same moment, swinging the franciska, a weapon similar to Teja's battle-axe.

Both axes whizzed through the air at once. Teja caught one upon his s.h.i.+eld; the second, which came hurtling at his head, he parried with his own axe, and in another moment he stood between his two adversaries, whirled his axe round him in a circle, and at one blow the two Franks fell right and left, both their helmets beaten in.

At that moment a spear struck the King's s.h.i.+eld; it pierced the steel rim, and slightly grazed his arm. As he turned to meet this enemy--it was the Burgundian Gundobad--Ardarich, the Gepide, ran at him from behind with his drawn sword, and struck him a heavy blow on the top of his helmet. But the next moment Ardarich fell, pierced through by the spear of Duke Guntharis; and the King pressed Gundobad, who defended himself valiantly, down upon his knees. Gundobad lost his helmet in the struggle, and Teja thrust the spike of his s.h.i.+eld into his throat.

But already Taulantius the Illyrian and Autharis the Longobardian stood before Teja. The Illyrian struck at the King's s.h.i.+eld with a heavy club made of the root of the ilex, and broke off a piece of the lower rim.

At the same time, just above the crack thus made, a lance, hurled by the Longobardian, struck the s.h.i.+eld and tore off the fastening of the spike, sticking with its hook into the hole, and dragging the s.h.i.+eld down by its weight.

Already Taulantius raised his club over the King's head. But Teja did not loiter; sacrificing his half-shattered s.h.i.+eld, he dashed it into the Illyrian's visorless face, letting it go; and almost at the same moment he thrust the point of his battle-axe through the breast-plate of Autharis, who was rus.h.i.+ng upon him. But now the King stood without a s.h.i.+eld, and his distant enemies redoubled their hail of spears and arrows. With axe and sword, Teja parried the thickly falling darts.

An alarum from the pa.s.s caused him to look round. He saw that the greater part of the warriors whom he had led out of the ravine had fallen. The innumerable projectiles hurled from a distance had done their deadly work, and already, advancing from the left, a powerful division of Longobardians, Persians, and Armenians, had attacked them in the flank, and now mingled in a hand-to-hand fight.

On the right the King saw a column of Thracians, Macedonians, and Franks press forward against the guardians of the pa.s.s with spears couched; while a third division--Gepidians, Alamannians, Isaurians, and Illyrians, tried to cut off himself and the small troop which still stood at his back from the retreat into the pa.s.s.

Teja looked sharply towards the pa.s.s. For a moment the banner of Theodoric disappeared--it seemed to have fallen. This circ.u.mstance decided the King.

”Back into the pa.s.s! Save Theodoric's banner!” he cried to those behind him, and tried to break through the troop of enemies which surrounded him.

But they were in terrible earnest, for they were led by Johannes.

”Upon the King,” lie cried. ”Do not let him through. Do not let him go back! Spears! Throw!”

Aligern had come up.

”Take my s.h.i.+eld!” he cried.

Teja caught the proffered s.h.i.+eld just in time to receive the lance hurled by Johannes, which would otherwise have pierced his visor.

”Back to the pa.s.s!” again Teja cried, and rushed with such impetuosity upon Johannes, that the latter fell to the ground. The two nearest Isaurians succ.u.mbed to Teja's sword.

And now Teja, Aligern, Guntharis, Hildebrand, Grippa, Wisand and Ragnaris hurried back to the pa.s.s. But here the battle was already raging. Alboin and Gisulf had stormed the pa.s.s, and a heavy, pointed block of lava, hurled by Alboin, had struck Adalgoth on the thigh, and caused him to sink upon his knees. But Wachis had caught the falling banner, and Adalgoth, quickly rising, had pushed the Longobardian, who was pressing forward, out of the pa.s.s with the spike of his s.h.i.+eld.

The sudden return of the King with his little troop of heroes relieved the almost overpowered guardians of the pa.s.s. The Longobardians fell in heaps before the unexpected a.s.sault in their rear. With loud cries the two guardians of the pa.s.s rushed forth, and the Longobardians, carrying their leaders along irresistibly, ran and leaped over the jagged lava in their downward retreat. But they did not run far. They were absorbed by the ranks of Isaurians, and Illyrians, Gepidians and Alamannians, who advanced in force, led by Johannes. Gnas.h.i.+ng his teeth, he had risen from his fall, had set his helmet straight, and at once led his men against the pa.s.s, into which Teja had now entered.

”Forward!” cried Johannes; ”up and at him, Alboin, Gisulf, Vitalia.n.u.s, Zenon! Let us see if this King be really spear-proof!”

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