306 MORRIS
Nor knit were the brows of Gunnar, nor his song- speech overworn;
But Hogni's mouth kept silence, and oft his heart went forth
To the long, long day of the darkness, and the end of worldly worth.
Loud rose the roar of the East-folk, and the end was
coming at last : Now the foremost locked their shield-rims and the
hindmost over them cast, And nigher they drew and nigher, and their fear
was fading away, For every man of the Niblungs on the shaft-strewn
pavement lay, Save Gunnar the King and Hogni : still the glorious
King up-bore The cloudy shield of the Niblungs set full of shafts
of war; But Hogni's hands had fainted, and his shield had
sunk adown,
So thick with the Eastland spearwood was that ram- part of renown; And hacked and dull were the edges that had rent
the wall of foes : Yet he stood upright by Gunnar before that shielded
close. Nor looked on the foeman's faces as their, wild eyes
drew anear, And their faltering shield-rims clattered with the
remnant of their fear;
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