1828.] Harold Harrung. 23 
his brave band in line, and prepared to give the order to set on. But 
the giant at this moment stept forth before his troops.—“ Harold Har- 
rung!” he shouted, at the full pitch of his sonorous voice, “ this is our 
quarrel ; let us try it alone. I defy thee here to mortal combat. Be 
Ulla his who conquers.” 
Burning with passion, the undaunted hero promptly acquiesced in 
the challenge of his gigantic foe. In vain Sweno and his other friends 
reminded him of the prodigious size and strength of Gruthioff, so far 
exceeding all men beside. Their remonstrances were unheard or 
unheeded ; and he rushed forward to encounter the challenger, midway 
between the hostile forces. The combat was furious and long. The acti- 
vity of Harold enabled him to avoid the deadly blows of Gruthioff, and 
the giant grew almost exhausted by his unavailing efforts. Then the bold 
sea-king ceased to act wholly on the defensive ; he began in turn to press 
hard upon his foe, and at last succeeded in wounding him severely. Then 
it was that the armour-bearer of Gruthioff, seeing the danger of his 
master, drew an arrow from his bow, and pierced Harold Harrung 
through the side. He fell instantly ; and his followers, shouting 
treachery, pressed forward to avenge him. But, ere they could reach 
the spot where he lay, Harold beheld his giant foe wave high his sword, 
and prepare to plunge it into his prostrate body. At that moment, the 
remembrance of the fatal gift of Druda flashed on his mind. Then, col- 
lecting his remaining strength, and baring his right hand, he sprang up, 
and arrested the arm of Gruthioff, in mid-descent, with a strong grasp. 
The giant stood for an instant motionless, as if struck by lightning, or 
changed to stone, and then fell dead without a groan—so suddenly had 
the spirit passed away. Harold beheld his fall, but nothing more; for 
then all perception failed him, and, when his senses returned, the fond 
arm of Ulla was supporting his neck, and he rested on a couch spread in 
her father’s hall. 
The events of the day were soon narrated. The heroic band had well 
revenged the treachery practised against their master ; scarce-one of the 
_ troops of Gruthioff had escaped alive ; and his death, as Harold found, 
_ was solely attributed to the severe wound he received during the com- 
e ieee But these tidings were scarcely uttered, ere the young hero felt 
_his weakness again return, and, for some hours more, he lay insensible to 
all around him. The wound of Harold was so dangerous as seemingly 
to baffle for a-time the few remedies of those simple times; but the 
unceasing cares of Ulla were at length crowned with the desired result, 
_ and the warrior’s health and strength rapidly returned. But he could 
not, day after day, view the lovely form of the maid bending over his 
couch, or see her anxious eye resting in eloquent tenderness on his coun- 
tenance, to trace if any expression of pain still lingered there; 
and that form, too, somewhat wasted of its graceful roundness ; and that 
eye, too, somewhat dimmed, from the effects of ceaseless watching ;—he 
could not mark all this, and not fondly, passionately love her, who had 
ce . rescued him from death. The threats of the enchantress, though not 
forgotten, he forced to bear a less terrible interpretation; and, with 
returning health, he craved of her father the precious gift of Ulla’s hand, 
and but for the deadly power with which Druda had endowed him, 
Harold had been perfectly happy. 
It was in the centre of his hall, amid a crowd of friends and vassals, 
that Sweno prepared the simple marriage-ceremony of those times. The 
