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In the gray of the following morning Ingo rode toward the meadow, with his two sword companions, Berthar and Wolf, for the single combat on which the sun might not look. The snow crackled under their feet; the night wind roared above their heads, and drove the snow-clouds from the mountains into the valley; the black covering of clouds concealed all the light of heaven; only the spirits of the dead ruled upon the earth; they cried from the wind, they rattled among the dry branches of the trees, and gurgled in the icy water the news that of two sworn companions of one hearth, one must depart from the light of the sun, and descend into the cold realm of the msit. Berthar pointed silently to where, in the dim morning twilight, three men stood on the other side of the stream; they were Theodulf, with Sintram and Agino, his comrades. "Their feet have been quicker than ours," said Ingo, discontentedly; "glory to those who first turned their backs on the foggy meadows." Before them lay the spot appointed for the fight --- a sandy island, surrounded on both sides by the eddying water, and covered with a thin coating of snow. The seconds greeted one another silently across the stream; they went to the willows on the bank, cut strong branches, and peeled the rind with their knives. Then Berthar and Sintram waded through the water; both stepped upon the ground at the same time, and marked out the spot for the fight with white wands. Then each stepped from thence to the ends of the island --- the one up the stream, the other down --- and made a sign with his hand to his combatant. The combatants bowed before the preserving gods, and murmured a prayer; then they waded through the water to their companions. The seconds drew back over the stream, and the mortal enemies sprang at one another without shields, in casques and coats of mail, with brandished swords. Steel struck upon steel; round them the wind groaned and the icy water gurgled. It was a desperate conflict between man and man. Theodulf showed himself not unworthy of the reputation that he had among his comrades.

For a time the struggle endured which leads so quickly to death, and Berthar looked discontentedly on the red in the morning sky, the messenger of day. Then Theodulf staggered under heavy blows, and again Ingo sprang at him, and fractured his skull through the iron helmet by a strong sword-stroke, so that a stream of blood burst forth, and the Prince's man sank backward on the snow. Ingo flung himself upon him, and raised his sword with intent to plunge the point of it into his throat. At the same moment the first rays of the sun broke over the hills; the red glow fell on the countenance of the wounded man. Sintram forgot in this danger of death the prescribed silence, and cried out over the stream: "Forbear; the sun sees it!" With the ray of light, and the cry, softer thoughts came across the wrathful soul of the conqueror; he drew his sword back, and said: "The King of Heaven shall not behold me piercing my sword through the retainer of my hospitable friend. Live, if thou canst!" and he turned away. Theodulf murmured, as he lay on the ground, raising his fist against him: "I do not thank thee." But Ingo sprang through the icy water on to the bank, and turned his back on the island and the fallen man, while Berthar said, reproachfully: "For the first time the King has been niggardly in paying the money for the journey of a deadly enemy into the land of mist." "I do not care about the revenge of a man that is lying under my sword," replied Ingo. His sword-comrades followed him silently, while the friends of the other rushed over the water, and tore away the armor of the wounded man.

In front of the guests' dwellings stood the troop of Vandals, already equipped; they stopped Berthar with their greetings when they saw the King return in safety from the meadow. In the court the Prince's men were collected, and the country guests, in gloomy expectation, till the loud wailing cry of Sintram resounded, and behind him two men carried the fallen Hero on a litter into the courtyard. When the litter was laid down in front of the house of the women, the Princess rushed out, threw herself with loud cries down by her relative, and raised her arms imploringly to her husband. Wild emotion, cries of revenge, and screams, followed the mute silence in the courtyard. The chiefs of the people hastened with conciliating words from one troop to another; they felt anxiously that a fire was kindled which could hardly be extinguished by sage counsel.

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