in, it was evident that
there was to be a fresh attack, this time united.

But the lad reached down his right arm, got hold of the hilt of his thin
rapier, and pressing closely to the niche, drew the weapon from its
sheath.

"Now then!" he cried, as the blade flashed in the sunshine, "I'm ready
for you. A new way of killing ravens. Come on."

He had not long to wait, for finding the entrance to their nesting-place
partly darkened, the young birds set up a loud series of cries,
maddening the old ones, and with a rush, down came one of them, so
fiercely that the lad's arm received a heavy stroke from a powerful
wing, the sword, passing through the feathers, between the bird's wing
and body.

"That's one to you," said the lad, drawing his breath with a sharp hiss.
"My word, you can hit hard! It's your life or mine, my fine fellow, so
look out."

Almost before he had breathed these words, amidst the outcry made by the
young, the second raven stooped at him, just as a falcon would at a
heron, and it came so unexpectedly, that once more the point of the
sword was ill directed, and a severe buffet of the bird's wing nearly
sent him down.

"This is getting too serious," he said, pressing his teeth together, as
he for the first time fully realised what enormous power a bird has in
its breast muscles.

They gave him no time for thinking, the first bird which had attacked,
after taking a swift curve round and upward, coming down again with a
fierce rush. But it was its last. Mark's sword was too well pointed
this time; there was a whirr, a heavy thud which made the hilt jar
against the lad's thigh, and the brave fierce bird had spitted itself so
thoroughly, that it struggled and beat its wings heavily as it lay on
the lad's lap, till he thrust out his arm to keep off the rain of blows,
and the bird fluttered itself off the rapier, and fell with the force of
a stone, down, down, out of sight.

A hoarse croak set the lad on guard again, and none too soon, for once
more he received a heavy blow from the companion raven's wing, as it
passed him with a whirr, striking the bush as well. Then recovering
itself from the stoop which carried it low down, it sailed up again, to
prepare for another attack.

"A bad miss," muttered the lad. "There was so little time to aim. Now
then, come on again."

The raven was far enough away, but as if it heard the challenge, it
swept round, and came on now from the other direction, a