Page:The poetical works of Matthew Arnold, 1897.djvu/111

Rh And whether it will heave us up to land,

Or whether it will roll us out to sea,—

Back out to sea, to the deep waves of death,—

We know not, and no search will make us know:

Only the event will teach us in its hour."

He spoke; and Rustum answered not, but hurled

His spear: down from the shoulder, down it came,

As on some partridge in the corn a hawk,

That long has towered in the airy clouds,

Drops like a plummet; Sohrab saw it come,

And sprang aside, quick as a flash; the spear

Hissed, and went quivering down into the sand,

Which it sent flying wide. Then Sohrab threw

In turn, and full struck Rustum's shield; sharp rang,

The iron plates rang sharp, but turned the spear.

And Rustum seized his club, which none but he

Could wield; an unlopped trunk it was, and huge,

Still rough,—like those which men in treeless plains

To build them boats fish from the flooded rivers,

Hyphasis or Hydaspes, when, high up

By their dark springs, the wind in winter-time

Hath made in Himalayan forests wrack,

And strewn the channels with torn boughs,—so huge

The club which Rustum lifted now, and struck

One stroke; but again Sohrab sprang aside,

Lithe as the glancing snake, and the club came

Thundering to earth, and leapt from Rustum's hand.

And Rustum followed his own blow, and fell

To his knees, and with his fingers clutched the sand.

And now might Sohrab have unsheathed his sword,

And pierced the mighty Rustum while he lay

Dizzy, and on his knees, and choked with sand;

But he looked on, and smiled, nor bared his sword,

But courteously drew back, and spoke, and said,—