k thou into the
hazel-garth presently then," said he, "and thou shalt see him with
eye."

So now they two stood in the hazelled field; it was two hours before
noon, the sky was overcast with a promise of the first snow of the
winter, but as yet none had fallen, and the field was dry and hard.
Now Hardcastle has Fiddlebow bare in his fist, but Osberne takes
Boardcleaver from his girdle and unwinds the peace-strings; then he
stands still for a moment and looks toward his foeman, who cries out
at him: "Haste thee, lad, I were fain done with it." Then Osberne
draws forth the blade, and it made a gleam of white in the grey day,
and as the folk say who stood thereby, as Boardcleaver came forth bare
there came a great humming sound all about. Then Osberne gets his
shield on his arm, and cries out: "Now thou warrior!" and straightway
Hardcastle comes leaping toward him, and Osberne abode him as he came
on with uplifted sword, leapt lightly to one side, and thrust forth
Boardcleaver and touched his side, so that all could see the blade had
drunk a little blood. Fiercely and fast turned Hardcastle about on the
lad, but therewith was he within the ruffler's stroke, and
Boardcleaver's point was steady before Osberne's breast, and met
Hardcastle's side and made a great wound with the point, and the
warrior staggered back, and his sword-point was lowered. Then cried
out Osberne: "What! Thou wouldst unbreech me, wouldst thou? But now art
thou unbreeched." For therewith Boardcleaver swept round backhanded
and came back as swift as lightning, and the edge clave all the right
flank and buttock of him, so that the blood ran freely; and then as
Hardcastle, still staggering, hove up his sword wildly, Osberne put
the slant stroke aside with his shield and thrust forth Boardcleaver
right at his breast, and the point went in, and the whole blade, as
there were nought but dough before it, and Hardcastle, nigh rent in
two, fell aback off the sword.

Osberne stood still a while looking on him, but Stephen ran up and
knelt beside him, and felt his wrist and laid his hand on the breast,
and then turned and looked up at Osberne, who knelt down beside him
also and wiped the blood off Boardcleaver with a lap of the dead man's
coat. Then he stood up and thrust the blade back into the sheath, and
wound the peace-strings about it all. Then came the word into his
mouth, and he sang:

Came sword and shield
To the hazelled field
Where the