On his left hand now was
Hart of Highcliff wielding a good sword hight Chip-driver, wherewith
he had slain and hurt a many, fighting wisely with sword and shield,
and driving the point home through the joints of the armour. But
even therewith, as he drave a great stroke at a lord of the Dusky
Ones, a cast-spear came flying and smote him on the breast, so that
he staggered, and the stroke fell flatlings on the shield-boss of his
foe, and Chip-driver brake atwain nigh the hilts; but Hart closed
with him, and smote him on the face with the pommel, and tore his axe
from his hand and clave his skull therewith, and slew him with his
own weapon, and fought on valiantly beside War-well.
Now War-well had fought so fiercely that he had rent his own hauberk
with the might of his strokes, and as he raised his arm to smite a
huge stroke, a deft man of the Felons thrust the spike of his war-axe
up under his arm; and when War-well felt the smart of the steel, he
turned on that man, and, letting his axe fall down to his wrist and
hang there by its loop, he caught the foeman up by the neck and the
breech, and drave him against the other Dusky Ones before him, so
that their weapons pierced and rent their own friend and fellow.
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