Moreover, he saw about the place whence came the cries
torches moving swiftly hither and thither; so that he looked to hear
of new tidings, and stayed his feet and looked keenly about him on
every side; and just then, between his rough path and the shimmer of
the dancing moonlit water, he saw the moon smite on something
gleaming; so, as quietly as he could, he got his target on his arm,
and shortened his spear in his right hand, and then turned sharply
toward that gleam. Even therewith up sprang a man on his right hand,
and then another in front of him just betwixt him and the water; an
axe gleamed bright in the moon, and he caught a great stroke on his
target, and therewith drave his left shoulder straight forward, so
that the man before him fell over into the water with a mighty
splash; for they were at the very edge of the deepest eddy of the
Water. Then he spun round on his heel, heeding not that another
stroke had fallen on his right shoulder, yet ill-aimed, and not with
the full edge, so that it ran down his byrny and rent it not. So he
sent the thrust of his spear crashing through the face and skull of
the smiter, and looked not to him as he fell, but stood still,
brandishing his spear and crying out, 'For the Burg and the Face!
For the Burg and the Face!'
No other foe came against him, but like to the echo of his cry rose a
clear shout not far aloof, 'For the Face, for the Face! For the Burg
and the Face!' He muttered, 'So ends the day as it begun,' and
shouted loud again, 'For the Burg and the Face!' And in a minute
more came breaking forth from the stone-heaps into the moonlit space
before the water the tall shapes of the men of Burgstead, the red
torchlight and the moonlight flashing back from their war-gear and
weapons; for every man had his sword or spear in hand.
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