now he placed it on the gunwale, going from under the awning. The
men who sat along the decks looked up at him and were still.

Then he heaved up the axe with both hands and whirled it, bringing
it down with such force that I looked to see both horn and gunwale
shorn through. But so skilful was he that he stayed that mighty
stroke so that the keen edge of the axe rested on the horn's rim
without marking it, and all the men who were watching cried out:

"Skoal {viii} to Thormod the axeman!"

"So," said he; "now stand up and guard a stroke or two; only strike
not as yet, for maybe your axe would go too far," and he smiled
grimly, as in jest.

But I had learned that same trick from the jarl.

Now Lodbrok had told me that when one has a stronger axeman to deal
with than one's self the first thing is to guard well. So he had
spent long hours in teaching me guard after guard, until I could
not fail in them.

"I am ready," I said, standing out before him.

Thormod feinted once or twice, then he let fly at me, striking with
the flat of his axe, as one does when in sport or practice. So I
guarded that stroke as the jarl had taught me; and as I did so the
men shouted:

"Well done, Saxon!"