But as Face-
of-god cleared a space about him, lo! almost within reach of his
sword-point up rose a grim shape from the earth, tall, grey-haired,
and bloody-faced, who uttered the Wolf-whoop from amidst the terror
of his visage, and turned and swung round his head an axe of the
Dusky Men, and fell to smiting them with their own weapon. The Dusky
Men shrieked in answer to his whoop, and all shrunk from him and
Face-of-god; but a cry of joy went up from the kindred, for they knew
Gold-ring, whom they deemed had been slain. So they all pressed on
together, smiting down the foe before them, and the Dusky Men, some
turned their backs and drave those behind them, till they too turned
and were strained through the passages and courts of the houses, and
some were overthrown and trodden down as they strove to hold face to
the Woodlanders, and some were hewn down where they stood; but the
whole throng of those that were on their feet drifted toward the
Market-place, the Woodlanders following them ever with point and
edge, till betwixt the bent and the houses no foeman stood up against
them.
Then they stood together, and raised the whoop of victory, and blew
their horns long and loud in token of their joy, and the Woodland men
lifted up their voices and sang:
Now far, far aloof
Standeth lintel and roof,
The dwelling of days
Of the Woodland ways:
Now nought wendeth there
Save the wolf and the bear,
And the fox of the waste
Faring soft without haste.
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