I soon found with great satisfaction that I could hold my own against him, though he was accounted a good swordsman, and he complimented me more than once on my strength of wrist and quickness of eye.

"Hast thou, O Bara Miyan," he asked in a steady voice, "a swordsman who can with one blow split a man from crown to jaw?"

"The Lamp of Heaven!" bawled the swordsman, beside himself.

For you, I would not fear much, for I know what a swordsman you are, and what a shotfar superior to Godensky, and with right on your side.

As for me, I promise you that the Tenth would have had no room for him, and that we should have lost our best swordsman if I had heard him give up the Emperor's secret.'

They number many heads in that hard flock, Trim swordsmen they push forth, yet try thy steel; Thou, fighting for poor human kind, shalt feel The strength of Roland in thy wrist to hew A chasm sheer into the barrier rock, And bring the army of the faithful through.

"Now will I make my vow," quoth Little John, "thou art the very best swordsman that ever mine eyes beheld.

An extraordinarily vivid memory of that night in Quebec when the hunter had faced Boucher, the bully and bravo, reputed the best swordsman of France, leaped up in Robert's mind.

Starved, withered, autumn hay that thanks the scythe! Send out your swordsmen, mow the dry bents down, And make this long death shortwe'll never struggle.