re that will lend me a
good stout staff till I try the mettle of yon fellow?" At this, half a
score reached him their staves, and he took the stoutest and heaviest of
them all. Then, looking up and down the cudgel, he said, "Now, I have
in my hand but a splint of wood--a barley straw, as it were--yet I trow
it will have to serve me, so here goeth." Thereupon he cast the cudgel
upon the stand and, leaping lightly after it, snatched it up in his hand
again.

Then each man stood in his place and measured the other with fell looks
until he that directed the sport cried, "Play!" At this they stepped
forth, each grasping his staff tightly in the middle. Then those that
stood around saw the stoutest game of quarterstaff that e'er Nottingham
Town beheld. At first Eric o' Lincoln thought that he would gain an
easy advantage, so he came forth as if he would say, "Watch, good
people, how that I carve you this cockerel right speedily"; but he
presently found it to be no such speedy matter. Right deftly he struck,
and with great skill of fence, but he had found his match in Little
John. Once, twice, thrice, he struck, and three times Little John
turned the blows to the left hand and to the right. Then quickly and
with a dainty backhanded blow, he rapped Eric beneath his guard so
shrewdly that it made his head ring again. Then Eric stepped back to
gather his wits, while a great shout went up and all were glad that
Nottingham had cracked Lincoln's crown; and thus ended the first bout of
the game.

Then presently the director of the sport cried, "Play!" and they came
together again; but now Eric played warily, for he found his man was of
right good mettle, and also he had no sweet memory of the blow that he
had got; so this bout neither Little John nor the Lincoln man caught a
stroke within his guard. Then, after a while, they parted again, and
this made the second bout.

Then for the third time they came together, and at first Eric strove to
be wary, as he had been before; but, growing mad at finding himself so
foiled, he lost his wits and began to rain blows so fiercely and so fast
that they rattled like hail on penthouse roof; but, in spite of all, he
did not reach within Little John's guard. Then at last Little John saw
his chance and seized it right cleverly. Once more, with a quick blow,
he rapped Eric beside the head, and ere he could regain himself, Little
John slipped his right hand down to his left and, with a swingi