hands, if such there be
yet upon the earth, whereof I misdoubt me. Now then thou hast the
sword; but I lay this upon thee therewith, that thou be no brawler nor
make-bate, and that thou draw not Boardcleaver in any false quarrel,
or in behalf of any tyrant or evil-doer, or else shall thy luck fail
thee despite the blade that lieth hidden there. But meseemeth nought
shalt thou be of the kind of these wrong-doers. And I say of thee that
thou didst well with me last night. For though thou knewest me
presently, and that I was not without might, yet at first, when thou
tookest me by the hand and leddest me to the fire before all the
house, thou knewest me not, and I was to thee but the ragged gangrel
body whom thy grandsire would have thrust forth into the storm again;
but thou didst to me no worse than if I had been lord and earl."

Now it is to be told, that when Osberne heard these words then first
he knew what praise was, and the heart glowed within him, and his
valiancy grew up therein, and his face was bright and his eyes
glistened with tears; and he spake no word aloud, but he swore to
himself that he would be no worse than his friend Steelhead would have
him to be.

Then he took the sword and girt it to him; and he said: "Master, this
is no long sword, but it is great and heavy, and meseemeth my bairn's
might may never wield it. Shall I not lay it by till I become man?"

"That shall be seen to, fair youngling," said Steelhead. "In an hour
thou shalt have might enough to wield Boardcleaver, though doubtless
thy might shall be eked year by year and month by month thereafter."

Chapter XIV. The Gifts of Steelhead

Now by then it was high noon, and the sun very hot, and as they lay on
the grass after this converse the lad looked on the water, and he was
besweated, and longed for the bright pools of the stream after the
manner of boys; and he said at last: "I were fain to take to the water
this hot noon, if it please thee."

"It is well thought of, lad," said Steelhead, "and that the more, as I
must needs see thee naked if I am to strengthen thee as I am minded to
do." So they did off their raiment, both of them, and went into the
biggest of the pools hard by; and if Steelhead were a noble-looking
man clad, far nobler was he to look on naked, for he was both big and
well shapen, so that better might not be. As for Osberne, there looked
but little of him when he was unclad, as is the fashion of lads to be
lank,