the sharp spear is an unhappy beast, and these men are
doubtless of the deftest." Said Osberne: "It all comes in the day's
work, lord; I pray thee turn me not back."

"Well, do we on our basnets and make we speedy end of it," quoth Sir
Godrick; "a wise man must ever wait upon a fool's pleasure."

So the two of them went forth, and found the others ready over against
them, the Knight of the Fish against Sir Godrick, and a very tall,
stark man-at-arms against Osberne. Short is the story of this course;
for Sir Godrick and the Fish brake their spears, but in such wise that
the Castle-knight lost his stirrups, and it went but a little but that
he fell to field. As for Osberne, he played so warily that he set his
spear-point in the default of the long man's defence just where arm
joins shoulder, and the spear went through and through him, and he
fell to the earth most grievously hurt. Therewith Osberne, who must
needs let his spear fall, took a short ax from his saddle-bow (for he
would not draw Boardcleaver) and abode what was to do. But the Knight
of the Fish cried out for fresh spears for him and Sir Godrick, and
must needs run again, and this time the Knight's spear brake on Sir
Godrick, whose shaft held that he drave the Knight of the Fish clean
over the arson of his saddle, and but for the goodness of his shield
and double jazerant the spear-head had been in his breast withal.

Then Sir Godrick cast up his spear-head, and lifted the visor of his
basnet and looked around, and saw Osberne sitting still upon his horse
and the long man in the arms of his fellows, and he cried out: "Now
this comes of fools! Here is our journey tarried, and one man or two,
who be not of our foes, slain or sore hurt, and all for naught. Ho ye!
give my man his spear. And thou, Red Lad, come up before they make us
do more hurt."

But therewith the Knight of the Fish sat up and had come to his wit,
and laughed and said: "Here is a surly one! Why, thou might'st
complain more if ye had come to the worse as we have. Come now, all
the sort of you, into my house, and drink a cup with us for the
washing away of all grudge against the honorable custom of the Fish."
Sir Godrick shook his head, but the wrath ran off him and he said:
"Sir Knight, thou art debonnaire in thy folly, and I thank thee; this
thy bidding might we have taken with a good will hadst thou not
compelled us to waste our time in knocking you off your horses. And I
am sorry we have