ing this merry giant.

"Not so bad," he said, baring his five-foot blade and holding it up
against the huge ax. "Not so bad, eh?"

Cathbarr burst into a laugh.

"It will grieve me to crush your skull, dear man," he rumbled. "What a
pair we would make, matched against that Dark Master! But enough.
Ready?"

Brian nodded slightly, and the long ax flashed up.

Now, Brian O'Neill had served a stiff apprenticeship at weapons, and had
faced many men whose eyes boded him death, but here, for the first time
in all his life, he felt the self-confidence stricken out of him.

As Cathbarr heaved up his ax, he became a different man. All the good
cheer fled out of his face; his curly brown beard seemed to stand out
about his head like snakes, and the massiveness of his body was
reflected in the battle-fury of his face. He needed no blows to rouse
him into madness; but with the ax swinging like a reed about him, he
came rushing at Brian, a giant come to earth from of old time. His men
on the tower set up a wild yell of encouragement.

Brian leaped swiftly aside and, thinking to end the fight at a blow,
brought down his sword against the descending ax-haft. Sparks flew--the
haft was bound with iron; Brian only saved himself from falling by a
miracle.

Then began a strange battle of feet against brawn, for Cathbarr rushed
and rushed again, but ever Brian slipped away from the falling ax, nor
was he able to strike back. The play of that ax was a marvel to behold;
it was shield and weapon in one, and it seemed no heavier than a thing
of wood as it whirled. Twice Brian got in his point against the
mail-coat without effect, and twice the ax brushed his shoulder, so that
he gave over thrusting. He knew that he was fighting for his life
indeed.

An instant later he discovered that fact anew as a glancing touch of the
ax drove off his steel cap and sent him staggering back a dozen paces,
reeling and clutching at the air. To his amazement Cathbarr did not
follow him, but stood waiting for him to recover; he had not looked for
such courtesy on the west coast.

He sprang back into his defense, desperate now. Again the ax whirled,
seeming a part of the giant himself, and Brian knew that he was lost if
he waited for it. So, instead of waiting, he leaped under the blow,
dropped his sword, and drove up his fist into the bearded chin, now
flecked with foam.

It was a cruel blow. Cathbarr grunted, his head rocked back, and he
swayed on h