of the bed; and if they go away, and my fellows come in due
time, then art thou safe. But if not, surely they shall do
thee no hurt; for I think, indeed, that thou art some great
one."

And he fell to striding down the hall toward the door; but
she ran after him, and caught his arm, and said: "Nay, nay,
I will not hide, to be dragged out of my refuge like a
thief: thou sayest well that I am of the great; I will stand
by thee and command and forbid as a Queen. O go not to the
door! Stay by me, stay!"

"Nay, nay," he said, "there is nought for it but the deed of
arms. Look! seest thou not steel by the porch?"

And therewith he broke from her and ran to the door, and was
met upon the very threshold by all-armed men, upon whom he
fell without more ado, crying out: "For the Tofts! For the
Tofts! The woodman to the rescue!" And he hewed right and
left on whatsoever was before him, so that what fell not,
gave back, and for a moment of time he cleared the porch;
but in that nick of time his axe brake on the basnet of a
huge man-at-arms, and they all thrust them on him together
and drave him back into the hall, and came bundling after
him in a heap. But he drave his shield at one, and then
with his right hand smote another on the bare face, so that
he rolled over and stirred no more till the day of doom.
Then was there a weapon before him, might he have stooped to
pick it up; but he might not; so he caught hold of a sturdy
but somewhat short man by the collar and the lap of his