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To allow them to have their way and torture me was unthinkable, and during
the more than two years I had been dodging, evading, and hiding from the law,
my mind had grown quick with stratagems.
Their method was obvious. They would move in upon me, ringing me with their
horses and themselves, and at any move I should make to escape, a horse would
be put before me. I was trapped, and they knew it. Deliberately, I put my
sword-cane in my belt and spread my arms as if surrendering.
The big one laughed. "See? He is a coward as well! He will not fight! Well,
we will see."
He thrust at me with his stick and I dodged. He . was too strong, much too
strong. The others began to do likewise, and there was one who was astride a
splendid sorrel gelding, a handsome horse, long-bodied and long-legged.
He thrust at me, almost got me, then thrust again. A stick caught my ribs and
ripped my shirt, tearing a thin scratch along my ribs. I felt the sting of it,
but dodged again, caught a short but ringing blow on my skull, and then the
lad on the sorrel leaned far forward, thrusting at me.
It was the moment for which I had waited. Instantly, I grasped the stick and
jerked ... hard.
He was too far forward and off balance, and my jerk took him from the saddle.
He fell, crying out, and as he hit the earth I ducked under a blow, grasped
the pommel, and swung myself to the empty saddle.
Once again my horsemanship stood me in good stead, and the horse beneath me
was quite the best of the lot. The big lad rode as good a horse, perhaps, but
outweighed me by fifty or sixty pounds. I hit the saddle, clapped my heels to
the horse's ribs, and took the sorrel away on a dead run.
I had the start of them. Knowing what I planned to do gave me that start and
my mount had three good jumps before they realized, and another before they
straightened out to run. And I fled into the open land beyond, toward the
still-distant sea.
They came after me. Their angry shouts rang in my ears and I heard the pound
of hooves behind me, but the sorrel was a fine horse and it loved to run. A
glance back showed me I now led them by at least five lengths and was gaining.
They rode wildly, heedlessly, thoughtless of their mounts. I eased my speed a
little for I knew not how far I must go and I chose the better ground. Hence
despite easing the speed I held my lead, and darkness was close upon us. Once
the dark came, I should have a chance.
Glancing back again, I saw that one of them had fallen out of the race, for
what reason I knew not. Lack of will, perhaps, for it had been easily seen
that he who led them drove them as well. Two only pursued me now, and one of
those was falling back.
On into the gathering dark I raced, straight toward the place where the sun
had set, and now only one horse was pursuing. Suddenly, I know not what devil
possessed me, I slowed my pace and swung my horse around to face him. He came
thundering on, realizing too late that I had stopped, and as he pulled up
hastily, I slapped heels to my sorrel and charged him. My mount hit his at the
shoulder as he was reining in and his horse staggered and went down.
He was quick, oh, so very quick! He leaped from the saddle as his horse fell,
and sprang at me. I reined my horse away and thrust at him with the
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
sword-cane, the blade still sheathed. It grazed the side of his head and
staggered him and I pivoted the horse and came at him again. He lunged at me
but I swung the horse away and drove my heel into the big lad's shoulder.
It was a wrong move, for his hand grasped my leg and the next I knew I was
sprawling on the earth and he was standing over me.
"Hah!" he said. "Now we shall see!" Having wrestled much, I did not try to
escape but threw my weight against his legs. It might as well have been
against the side of a barn, for he gave not an inch but stooped to grab me.
Catching his sleeve, I jerked hard and he fell forward. I was the more agile
and was out from under him and on my feet.
He came up swiftly but I struck him hard in the face as he rose. It slowed
him not at all, yet I hit him again before he was up, then leaped for my
sword-cane.
He saw me pick it up and drew his sword.
We faced each other on the moors in the half-light. Already the stars were
out, yet we had been in the darkness and each could see plainly enough.
From the sheath I drew my blade. It was a small blade, as such sword-cane
blades are apt to be, shorter by inches than the usual sword. He had the reach
of me, anyway, by several inches.
He whipped his blade this way and that as if to show me he knew what he was
about. I simply waited, trusting to my new skill to equal the reach he had.
That I was good with a blade I well knew. It had been obvious that in our last
few weeks I had been forcingKory to his limit, so I stepped forward willingly
enough.
High on the western moors ofEngland , then, we fought by starlight, and
within a matter of minutes I knew I had met my master.
It was not to be believed.Kory was good. All had said he was the best, and I
was now as good, yet no sooner had we begun than I realized that this tall
youth had skill beyond belief. Nor could I claim it was the length of his
blade or his superior reach, for he was simply better.
"Hah!" he exclaimed. "So you have fenced? What are you then? Who are you?"
"It does not matter," I said.
"No," he agreed, "for when I have had my exercise I shall kill you. I shall
spit you like a goose."
He handled himself with consummate skill. He was casual with me, not
careless, for he could see I was better than most. He handled my best with
indifference, and I knew that unless I could think of some trick, some means
of subtlety, I would be dead within minutes.
He was toying with me. Once he merely pricked my chest when he might have
killed me with a thrust. He simply smiled tauntingly and said, "Next time!"
Back, back ... I fought carefully, sweat pouring down my cheeks, a cold [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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