Page:The Sundering Flood - Morris - 1898.djvu/241

 mine errand, for I have overmuch bitter earnest on hand to play at battle. But since thy lord besetteth the way I must needs defend myself against him, as I would against any other ruffler or strong-thief. Go tell him that the Knight of the Weary-Strife will come presently with a good man of his and deliver him of his jousts. And Sir Godrick was very wroth.

So when the herald was gone Sir Godrick turned to Osberne and said: How sayest thou, Red Lad, is this any of thy business? All of my business, lord, said Osberne, albeit I am none so wroth as thou art. Said the Knight, looking on him kindly: Thou art not bound to run, Red Lad; 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 Castleknight 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 griev-