Said Face-of-god: 'Their fighting-men of full age may be five score;
but besides that there shall be some two or three score of women that
will fight, whoever says them nay; and many of these are little worse
in the field than men; or no worse, for they shoot well in the bow.
Moreover, there will be a full score of swains not yet twenty winters
old whom ye may not hinder to fight if anything is a-doing.'
'This is no great host,' said the Alderman; 'yet if they deem there
is little to lose by fighting, and nought to gain by sitting still,
they may go far in winning their desire; and that more especially if
they may draw into their quarrel some other valiant Folk more in
number than they be. I marvel not, though, they were kind to thee,
son Gold-mane, if they knew who thou wert.'
'They knew it,' said Face-of-god.
'Neighbours,' said the Alderman, 'have ye any rede hereon, and aught
to say to back your rede?'
Then spake the Fiddle: 'As ye know and may see, I am now very old,
and, as the word goes, unmeet for battle: yet might I get me to the
field, either on mine own legs or on the legs of some four-foot
beast, I would strike, if it were but one stroke, on these pests of
the earth.
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