but she ran after
him, and caught his arm, and said: "Nay, nay, I will not hide, to be
dragged out of my refuge like a thief: thou sayest well that I am of the
great; I will stand by thee and command and forbid as a Queen. O go not
to the door! Stay by me, stay!"

"Nay, nay," he said, "there is nought for it but the deed of arms. Look!
seest thou not steel by the porch?"

And therewith he broke from her and ran to the door, and was met upon
the very threshold by all-armed men, upon whom he fell without more ado,
crying out: "For the Tofts! For the Tofts! The woodman to the rescue!"
And he hewed right and left on whatsoever was before him, so that what
fell not, gave back, and for a moment of time he cleared the porch; but
in that nick of time his axe brake on the basnet of a huge man-at-arms,
and they all thrust them on him together and drave him back into the
hall, and came bundling after him in a heap. But he drave his shield
at one, and then with his right hand smote another on the bare face, so
that he rolled over and stirred no more till the day of doom. Then was
there a weapon before him, might he have stooped to pick it up; but he
might not; so he caught hold of a sturdy but somewhat short man by the
collar and the lap of his leather surcoat, and drew aback, and with a
mighty heave cast him on the rout of them, who for their parts had drawn
back a little also, as if he had been a huge stone, and down went two
before that artillery; and they set up a great roar of wonder and fear.
But he followed them, and this time got an axe in his hand, so mazed
they were by his onset, and he hewed at them again and drave them aback
to the threshold of the door: but could get them no further, and they
began to handle long spears to thrust at him.

But then came forward a knight, no mickle man, but clad in very goodly
armour, with a lion beaten in gold on his green surcoat; this man smote
up the spears, and made the men go back a little, while he stood on the
threshold; so Christopher saw that he would parley with him, and forbore
him, and the knight spake: "Thou youngling, art thou mad? What doest
thou falling on my folk?"

"And what do ye," said Christopher fiercely, "besetting the houses of
folk with weapons? Now wilt thou take my life. But I shall yet slay one
or two before I die. Get thee back, lord, or thou shalt be the first."

But the knight, who had no weapon in his hand, said: "We come but
to seek our own, and tha