Page:The Sundering Flood - Morris - 1898.djvu/197

 to sidle landward, and therewithal beyond them rose a great shout, and therein the East Dalers knew the voice of their kinsmen, and they shouted all together in answer as they plied the bow, and the strong-thieves turned about and ran yelling and cursing toward the landward and the south-west, for the West Dalers were upon them with spear and axe and sword. That was the end of the shot-stour, and the aliens came never again that tide under the shafts of the East Dalers. But betwixt the kenning of their dead and the tending of their hurt folk, they stood gazing out anxiously over the field, if they might but see how the battle of handy-strokes had gone, and by seeming right hard had it been; but in a while they saw the aliens thrust back and edging away towards their horses, which they had left standing out of bow-shot not far from the Bight of the Cloven Knoll. The West Dalers were following on, smiting great strokes, but not so as to be mingled up with them; nor did they seem as if they would will to hinder them if they should get on their horses and ride away; and even so they did presently, and the Dalesmen saw them never again.