'Methought then our last day was come. What could we do but run
together again after we had loosed at a venture, and so withstand
them sword and spear in hand? Some fell beneath our shot, but not
many, for they came on very swiftly.
'So they fell on us; but for all their fierceness and their numbers
they might not break our array, and we slew four and hurt many by
sword-hewing and spear-casting and push of spear; and five of us were
hurt and one slain by their dart-casting. So they drew off from us a
little, and strove to spread out and fall to shooting at us again;
but this we would not suffer, but pushed on as they fell back,
keeping as close together as we might for the trees. For we said
that we would all die together if needs must; and verily the stour
was hard.
'Yet hearken! In that nick of time rose up a strange cry not far
from us, Ha! ha! ha! ha! How-ow-ow! ending like the howl of a wolf,
and then another and another and another, till the whole wood rang
again.
'At first we deemed that here were come fresh foemen, and that we
were undone indeed; but when they heard it, the foe-men before us
faltered and gave way, and at last turned their backs and fled, and
we followed, keeping well together still: thereby the more part of
these men escaped us, for they fled wildly here and there from those
who bore that cry with them; so we knew that our work was being done
for us; therefore we stood, and saw tall men clad in sheep-brown weed
running through the glades pursuing those felons and smiting them
down, till both fleers and pursuers passed out of our sight like men
in a dream, or as when ye roll up a pictured cloth to lay it in the
coffer.
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