Page:The Ballads of Marko Kraljević.djvu/137

 Even the eagle that leadeth the clouds!" Kraljević Marko answered him again: "Well I wot, Turk, I am a good knight of prowess But here art thou preferred before me, For here art thou in thine own domain, And on the field thou hast preference before me, For it is thou that hast challenged me. Therefore, Turk, do thou first loose an arrow." The Turk loosed a white arrow, He loosed an arrow, they measured by ells, And behold, he had sent the arrow an hundred and twenty. Then did Marko loose his first white arrow And sent it ells two hundred. The Turk loosed his second white arrow, Three hundred ells he sped it. Marko loosed his second white arrow, Five hundred ells he sped it. The Turk loosed his third white arrow, Six hundred ells he sped it. Therewithal came Kostadin to Marko Bearing the Tartar arrow, In the which Tartar arrow Were nine white falcon feathers. Right so Marko loosed the Tartar arrow And so it flew into the mist and stour, That with the eyes none might follow it, And how should his flight be meted? Then the Turk wept and made great dole, And began to beseech Marko: "Brother-in-God, Kraljević Marko, By the most high God and by Saint John, And by thy fair religion, Thou hast won upon me my white manor And the lady, my faithful wife, But hang me not, brother, I pray thee." Quoth Kraljević Marko: "O Turk, may the living God smite thee!