uel
than himself; therefore, if you should go thither, and perish in the
attempt, it would be a heart-breaking thing to me and my lady; so let me
persuade you to go with us, and desist from any farther pursuit." "Nay,"
answered Jack, "if there be another, even if there were twenty, I would
shed the last drop of blood in my body before one of them should escape
my fury. When I have finished this task, I will come and pay my respects
to you." So when they had told him where to find them again, he got on
his horse and went after the dead giant's brother.

Jack had not rode a mile and a half, before he came in sight of the
mouth of the cavern; and nigh the entrance of it, he saw the other giant
sitting on a huge block of fine timber, with a knotted iron club lying
by his side, waiting for his brother. His eyes looked like flames of
fire, his face was grim and ugly, and his cheeks seemed like two
flitches of bacon; the bristles of his beard seemed to be thick rods of
iron wire; and his long locks of hair hung down upon his broad shoulders
like curling snakes. Jack got down from his horse, and turned him into a
thicket; then he put on his coat of darkness, and drew a little nearer
to behold this figure, and said softly: "Oh, monster! are you there? It
will not be long before I shall take you fast by the beard." The giant
all this while, could not see him, by reason of his invisible coat: so
Jack came quite close to him, and struck a blow at his head with his
sword of sharpness, but he missed his aim, and only cut off his nose,
which made him roar like loud claps of thunder. And though he rolled his
glaring eyes round on every side, he could not see who had given him the
blow; yet he took up his iron club, and began to lay about him like one
that was mad with pain and fury.

"Nay," said Jack, "if this be the case I will kill you at once." So
saying, he slipped nimbly behind him, and jumping upon the block of
timber, as the giant rose from it, he stabbed him in the back; when,
after a few howls, he dropped down dead. Jack cut off his head, and sent
it with the head of his brother, whom he had killed before in the
forest, to King Arthur, by a wagon which he hired for that purpose, with
an account of all his exploits. When Jack had thus killed these two
monsters, he went into their cave in search of their treasure: he passed
through many turnings and windings, which led him to a room paved with
freestone; at the end of it was a