was not
strange that, together with other matters, I should have forgotten the
art of fence: but yet, as I went on, and sometimes bounded about the
hall under the whizzing of his sword, as he rested sometimes, leaning
on it, as the point sometimes touched my head and made my eyes start
out, I remembered the old joy that I used to have, and the swy, swy,
of the sharp edge, as one gazed between one's horse's ears; moreover,
at last, one fierce swift stroke, just touching me below the throat,
tore up the skin all down my body, and fell heavy on my thigh, so that
I drew my breath in and turned white; then first, as I swung my sword
round my head, our blades met, oh! to hear that tchink again! and I
felt the notch my sword made in his, and swung out at him; but he
guarded it and returned on me; I guarded right and left, and grew
warm, and opened my mouth to shout, but knew not what to say; and our
sword points fell on the floor together: then, when we had panted
awhile, I wiped from my face the blood that had been dashed over it,
shook my sword and cut at him, then we spun round and round in a mad
waltz to the measured music of our meeting swords, and sometimes
either wounded the other somewhat but not much, till I beat down his
sword on to his head, that he fell grovelling, but not cut through.
Verily, thereupon my lips opened mightily with "Mary rings."

Then, when he had gotten to his feet, I went at him again, he
staggering back, guarding wildly; I cut at his head; he put his sword
up confusedly, so I fitted both hands to my hilt, and smote him
mightily under the arm: then his shriek mingled with my shout, made a
strange sound together; he rolled over and over, dead, as I thought.

I walked about the hall in great exultation at first, striking my
sword point on the floor every now and then, till I grew faint with
loss of blood; then I went to my enemy and stripped off some of his
clothes to bind up my wounds withal; afterwards I found in a corner
bread and wine, and I eat and drank thereof.

Then I went back to him, and looked, and a thought struck me, and I
took some of his paints and brushes, and kneeling down, painted his
face thus, with stripes of yellow and red, crossing each other at
right angles; and in each of the squares so made I put a spot of
black, after the manner of the painted letters in the prayer-books and
romances when they are ornamented.

So I stood back as painters use, folded my arms, and admir