and each one of the four archers said afterwards that he alone had
pierced the Devil that fought me. I do not know. I went to it in my
mail-shirt, which saved my skin. With long-sword and belt-dagger I
fought for the life against a Devil whose very feet were hands, and who
whirled me back and forth like a dead branch. He had me by the waist, my
arms to my side, when an arrow from the ship pierced him between the
shoulders, and he loosened grip. I passed my sword twice through him,
and he crutched himself away between his long arms, coughing and
moaning. Next, as I remember, I saw Thorkild of Borkum, bare-headed and
smiling, leaping up and down before a Devil that leaped and gnashed his
teeth. Then Hugh passed, his sword shifted to his left hand, and I
wondered why I had not known that Hugh was a left-handed man; and
thereafter I remembered nothing till I felt spray on my face, and we
were in sunshine on the open sea. That was twenty days after.'

'What had happened? Did Hugh die?'the children asked.

'Never was such a fight fought by christened man,' said Sir Richard. 'An
arrow from the ship had saved me from my Devil, and Thorkild of Borkum
had given back before his Devil, till the bowmen on the ship could shoot
it all full of arrows from near by; but Hugh's Devil was cunning, and
had kept behind trees, where no arrow could reach. Body to body there,
by stark strength of sword and hand, had Hugh slain him, and, dying, the
Thing had clenched his teeth on the sword. Judge what teeth they were!'

Sir Richard turned the sword again that the children might see the two
great chiselled gouges on either side of the blade.

'Those same teeth met in Hugh's right arm and side,' Sir Richard went
on. 'I? Oh, I had no more than a broken foot and a fever. Thorkild's ear