and rent it, for he had
mighty fingers. Then he was gripping warm flesh, tearing it like a
wild beast, and his assailant with a cry slackened his hold. "Whatna
wull-cat..." he began, but he got no further. The hoof of Wat's horse
came down on his head and brained him. A splatter of blood fell on
Sim's face.

The man was half wild. His shelty had broken back for the hill, but
his spear lay a yard off. He seized it and got to his feet, to find
that Wat had driven the English over the burn. The cattle were losing
their weariness in panic, and tossing wild manes among the Scots. It
was like a fight in a winter's byre. The glare on the right grew
fiercer, and young Harden's voice rose, clear as a bell, above the
tumult. He was swearing by the cross of his sword.

On foot, in the old Border way, Sim followed in Wat's wake, into the
bog and beyond the burn. He laired to his knees, but he scarcely
heeded it. There was a big man before him, a foolish, red-haired
fellow, who was making great play with a cudgel. He had shivered two
spears and was singing low to himself. Farther off Wat had his axe in
hand and was driving the enemy to the brae. There were dead men in the
moss. Sim stumbled over a soft body, and a hand caught feebly at his
heel. "To me, lads," cried Wat. "Anither birse and we hae them
broken."

But something happened. Harden was pushing the van of the raiders up
the stream, and a press of them surged in from the right. Wat found
himself assailed on his flank, and gave ground. The big man with the
cudgel laughed loud and ran down the hill, and the Scots fell back on
Sim. Men tripped over him, and as he rose he found the giant above him
with his stick in the air.

The blow fell, glancing from the ash-shaft to Sim's side. Something
cracked and his left arm hung limp. But the furies of hell had hold of
him now. He rolled over, gripped his spear short, and with a swift
turn struck upwards. The big man gave a sob and toppled down into a
pool of the burn.

Sim struggled to his feet, and saw that the raiders were beginning to
hough the cattle One man was driving a red spear into a helpless beast.
It might have been the Cleuch cow. The sight maddened him, and like a
destroying angel he was among them. One man he caught full in the
throat, and had to set a foot on breast before he could tug the spear
out. Then the head shivered on a steel corselet, and Sim played
quarterstaff with the shaft