e deeper. Eh? Is
not that a more soldierly sport than kinderspiel such as hand-grasping
and the like?'

'He is a modest youth,' said Saxon. 'Yet I would match his stroke
against yours.'

'For what?' snarled the German.

'For as much wine as we can take at a sitting.

'No small amount, either,' said Buyse; 'a brace of gallons at the least.
Well, be it so. Do you accept the contest?'

'I shall do what I may,' I answered, 'though I can scarce hope to strike
as heavy a blow as so old and tried a soldier.'

'Henker take your compliments,' he cried gruffly. 'It was with sweet
words that you did coax my fingers into that fool-catcher of yours. Now,
here is my old headpiece of Spanish steel. It has, as you can see, one
or two dints of blows, and a fresh one will not hurt it. I place it here
upon this oaken stool high enough to be within fair sword-sweep. Have at
it, Junker, and let us see if you can leave your mark upon it!'

'Do you strike first, sir,' said I, 'since the challenge is yours.'

'I must bruise my own headpiece to regain my soldierly credit,' he
grumbled. 'Well, well, it has stood a cut or two in its day.' Drawing
his broadsword, he waved back the crowd who had gathered around us,
while he swung the great weapon with tremendous force round his head,
and brought it down with a full, clean sweep on to the smooth cap of
steel. The headpiece sprang high into the air and then clattered down
upon the oaken floor with a long, deep line bitten into the solid metal.

'Well struck!' 'A brave stroke!' cried the spectators. 'It is proof
steel thrice welded, and warranted to turn a sword-blade,' one remarked,
raising up the helmet to examine it, and then replacing it upon the
stool.

'I have seen my father cut through proof steel with this very sword,'
said I, drawing the fifty-year-old weapon. 'He put rather more of his
weight into it than you have done. I have heard him say that a good
stroke should come from the back and loins rather than from the mere
muscles of the arm.'

'It is not a lecture we want, but a beispiel or example,' sneered the
German. 'It is with your stroke that we have to do, and not with the
teaching of your father.'

'My stroke,' said I, 'is in accordance with his teaching;' and,
whistling round the sword, I brought it down with all my might and
strength upon the German's helmet. The good old Commonwealth blade shore
through the plate of steel, cut the stool asunder, and buried its point