men of iron-第40节

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〃Fear　not；　Gilbert；〃　said　he　at　each　pause　in　the　fight。　〃He　holdeth　his　own　right　well。〃　Then；　after　a　while：　〃God　is　with　us；　Gilbert。　Alban　is　twice　wounded　and　his　horse　faileth。　One　little　while　longer　and　the　victory　is　ours！〃

A　longer　and　more　continuous　interval　of　combat　followed　this　last　assurance；　during　which　Myles　drove　the　assault　fiercely　and　unrelentingly　as　though　to　overbear　his　enemy　by　the　very　power　and　violence　of　the　blows　he　delivered。　The　Earl　defended　himself　desperately；　but　was　borne　back；　back；　back；　farther　and　farther。　Every　nerve　of　those　who　looked　on　was　stretched　to　breathless　tensity；　when；　almost　as　his　enemy　was　against　the　barriers；　Myles　paused　and　rested。

〃Out　upon　it！〃　exclaimed　the　Earl　of　Mackworth；　almost　shrilly　in　his　excitement；　as　the　sudden　lull　followed　the　crashing　of　blows。　〃Why　doth　the　boy　spare　him？　That　is　thrice　he　hath　given　him　grace　to　recover；　an　he　had　pushed　the　battle　that　time　he　had　driven　him　back　against　the　barriers。〃

It　was　as　the　Earl　had　said；　Myles　had　three　times　given　his　enemy　grace　when　victory　was　almost　in　his　very　grasp。　He　had　three　times　spared　him；　in　spite　of　all　he　and　those　dear　to　him　must　suffer　should　his　cruel　and　merciless　enemy　gain　the　victory。　It　was　a　false　and　foolish　generosity；　partly　the　fault　of　his　impulsive　youthmore　largely　of　his　romantic　training　in　the　artificial　code　of　French　chivalry。　He　felt　that　the　battle　was　his；　and　so　he　gave　his　enemy　these　three　chances　to　recover；　as　some　chevalier　or　knight…　errant　of　romance　might　have　done；　instead　of　pushing　the　combat　to　a　mercifully　speedy　end　and　his　foolish　generosity　cost　him　dear。

In　the　momentary　pause　that　had　thus　stirred　the　Earl　of　Mackworth　to　a　sudden　outbreak；　the　Earl　of　Alban　sat　upon　his　panting；　sweating　war…　horse；　facing　his　powerful　young　enemy　at　about　twelve　paces　distant。　He　sat　as　still　as　a　rock；　holding　his　gisarm　poised　in　front　of　him。　He　had；　as　the　Earl　of　Mackworth　had　said；　been　wounded　twice；　and　each　time　with　the　point　of　the　sword；　so　much　more　dangerous　than　a　direct　cut　with　the　weapon。　One　wound　was　beneath　his　armor；　and　no　one　but　he　knew　how　serious　it　might　be；　the　other　was　under　the　overlapping　of　the　epauhere；　and　from　it　a　finger's…breadth　of　blood　ran　straight　down　his　side　and　over　the　housings　of　his　horse。　From　without；　the　still　motionless　iron　figure　appeared　calm　and　expressionless；　within；　who　knows　what　consuming　blasts　of　hate；　rage；　and　despair　swept　his　heart　as　with　a　fiery　whirlwind。

As　Myles　looked　at　the　motionless；　bleeding　figure；　his　breast　swelled　with　pity。　〃My　Lord；〃　said　he；　〃thou　art　sore　wounded　and　the　fight　is　against　thee；　wilt　thou　not　yield　thee？〃

No　one　but　that　other　heard　the　speech；　and　no　one　but　Myles　heard　the　answer　that　came　back；　hollow；　cavernous；　〃Never；　thou　dog！　Never！〃

Then　in　an　instant；　as　quick　as　a　flash；　his　enemy　spurred　straight　upon　Myles；　and　as　he　spurred　he　struck　a　last　desperate；　swinging　blow；　in　which　he　threw　in　one　final　effort　all　the　strength　of　hate；　of　fury；　and　of　despair。　Myles　whirled　his　horse　backward；　warding　the　blow　with　his　shield　as　he　did　so。　The　blade　glanced　from　the　smooth　face　of　the　shield；　and；　whether　by　mistake　or　not；　fell　straight　and　true；　and　with　almost　undiminished　force；　upon　the　neck　of　Myles's　war…horse；　and　just　behind　the　ears。　The　animal　staggered　forward；　and　then　fell　upon　its　knees；　and　at　the　same　instant　the　other；　as　though　by　the　impetus　of　the　rush；　dashed　full　upon　it　with　all　the　momentum　lent　by　the　weight　of　iron　it　carried。　The　shock　was　irresistible；　and　the　stunned　and　wounded　horse　was　flung　upon　the　ground；　rolling　over　and　over。　As　his　horse　fell；　Myles　wrenched　one　of　his　feet　out　of　the　stirrup；　the　other　caught　for　an　instant；　and　he　was　flung　headlong　with　stunning　violence；　his　armor　crashing　as　he　fell。　In　the　cloud　of　dust　that　arose　no　one　could　see　just　what　happened；　but　that　what　was　done　was　done　deliberately　no　one　doubted。　The　earl；　at　once　checking　and　spurring　his　foaming　charger；　drove　the　iron…shod　war…horse　directly　over　Myles's　prostrate　body。　Then；　checking　him　fiercely　with　the　curb；　reined　him　back；　the　hoofs　clashing　and　crashing；　over　the　figure　beneath。　So　he　had　ridden　over　the　father　at　York；　and　so　he　rode　over　the　son　at　Smithfield。

Myles；　as　he　lay　prostrate　and　half　stunned　by　his　fall；　had　seen　his　enemy　thus　driving　his　rearing　horse　down　upon　him；　but　was　not　able　to　defend　himself。　A　fallen　knight　in　full　armor　was　utterly　powerless　to　rise　without　assistance；　Myles　lay　helpless　in　the　clutch　of　the　very　iron　that　was　his　defence。　He　closed　his　eyes　involuntarily；　and　then　horse　and　rider　were　upon　him。　There　was　a　deafening；　sparkling　crash；　a　glimmering　faintness；　then　another　crash　as　the　horse　was　reined　furiously　back　again；　and　then　a　humming　stillness。

In　a　moment；　upon　the　scaffolding　all　was　a　tumult　of　uproar　and　confusion；　shouting　and　gesticulation；　only　the　King　sat　calm；　sullen；　impassive。　The　Earl　wheeled　his　horse　and　sat　for　a　moment　or　two　as　though　to　make　quite　sure　that　he　knew　the　King's　mind。　The　blow　that　had　been　given　was　foul；　unknightly；　but　the　King　gave　no　sign　either　of　acquiescence　or　rebuke；　he　had　willed　that　Myles　was　to　die。

Then　the　Earl　turned　again；　and　rode　deliberately　up　to　his　prostrate　enemy。

When　Myles　opened　his　eyes　after　that　moment　of　stunning　silence；　it　was　to　see　the　other　looming　above　him　on　his　war…horse；　swinging　his　gisarm　for　one　last　mortal　blowpitiless；　merciless。

The　sight　of　that　looming　peril　brought　back　Myles's　wandering　senses　like　a　flash　of　lightning。　He　flung　up　his　shield；　and　met　the　blow　even　as　it　descended；　turning　it　aside。　It　only　protracted　the　end。

Once　more　the　Earl　of　Alban　raised　the　gisarm；　swinging　it　twice　around　his　head　before　he　struck。　This　time；　though　the　shield　glanced　it；　the　blow　fell　upon　the　shoulder…piece；　biting　through　the　steel　plate　and　leathern　jack　beneath　even　to　the　bone。　Then　Myles　covered　his　head　with　his　shield　as　a　last　protecting　chance　for　life。

For　the　third　time　the　Earl　swung　the　blade　flashing；　and　then　it　fell；　straight　and　true；　upon　the　defenceless　body；　just　below　the　left　arm；　biting　deep　through　the　armor　plates。　For　an　instant　the　blade　stuck　fast；　and　that　instant　was　Myles's　salvation。　Under　the　agony　of　the　blow　he　gave　a　muffled　cry；　and　almost　instinctively　grasped　the　shaft　of　the　weapon　with　both　hands。　Had　the　Earl　let　go　his　end　of　the　weapon；　he　would　have　won　the　battle　at　his　leisure　and　most　easily；　as　it　was；　he　struggled　violently　to　wrench　the　gisarm　away　from　Myles。　In　that　short；　fierce　struggle　Myles　was　dragged　to　his　knees；　and　then；　still　holding　the　weapon　with　one　hand；　he　clutched　the　trappings　of　the　Earl's　horse　with　the　other。　The　next　moment　he　was　upon　his　feet。　The　other　struggled　to　thrust　him　away；　but　Myles；　letting　go　the　gisarm；　which　he　held　with　his　left　hand；　clutched　him　tightly　by　the　sword…belt　in　the　intense；　vise…like　grip　of　despair。　In　vain　the　Earl　strove　to　beat　him　loose　with　the　shaft　of　the　gisarm；　in　vain　he　spurred　and　reared　his　horse　to　shake　him　off；　Myles　held　him　tight；　in　spite　of　all　his　struggles。

He　felt　neither　the　streaming　blood　nor　the　throbbing　agony　of　his　wounds；　every　faculty　of　soul；　mind；　body；　every　power　of　life；　was　centered　in　one　intense；　burning　effort。　He　neither　felt；　thought；　nor　reasoned；　but　clutching；　with　the　blindness　of　instinct；　the　heavy；　spiked；　iron…　headed　mace　that　hung　at　the　Earl's　saddle…bow；　he　gave　it　one　tremendous　wrench　that　snapped　the　plaited　leathern　thongs　that　held　it　as　though　they　were　skeins　of　thread。　Then；　grinding　his　teeth　as　with　a　spasm；　he　struck　as　he　had　never　struck　beforeonce；　twice；　thrice　full　upon　the　front　of　the　helmet。　Crash！　crash！　And　then；　even　as　the　Earl　toppled　sidelong；　crash！　And　the　iron　plates　split　and　crackled　under　the　third　blow。　Myles　had　one　flashing　glimpse　of　an　awful　face；　and　then　the　saddle　was　empty。

Then；　as　he　held　tight　to　the　horse；　panting；　dizzy；　sick　to　death；　he　felt　the　hot　blood　gushing　from　his　side；　filling　his　body　armor；　and　staining　the　ground　upon　which　he　stood。　Still　he　held　tightly　to　the　saddle…bow　of　the　fallen　man's　horse　until；　through　his　glimmering　sight；　he　saw　the　Marshal；　the　Lieutenant；　and　the　attendants　gather　around　him。　He　heard　the　Marshal　ask　him；　in　a　voice　that　sounded　faint　and　distant；　if　he　was　dangerously　wounded。　He　did　not　answer；　and　one　of　the　attendants；　leaping　from　his　horse；　opened　the　umbril　of　his　helmet；　disclosing　the　dull；　hollow　eyes；　the　ashy；　colorless　lips；　and　the　waxy　forehead；　upon　which　stood　great　beads　of　sweat。

〃Water！　water！〃　he　cried；　hoarsely；　〃give　me　to　drink！〃　Then；　quitting　his　hold　upon　the　horse；　he　started　blindly　across　the　lists　towards　the　gate　of　the　barrier。　A　shadow　that　chilled　his　heart　seemed　to　fall　upon　him。　〃It　is　death；〃　he　muttered；　then　he　stopped；　then　swayed　for　an　instant；　and　then　toppled　headlong；　crashing　as　he　fell。



CONCLUSION

But　Myles　was　not　dead。　Those　who　had　seen　his　face　when　the　umbril　of　the　helmet　was　raised；　and　then　saw　him　fall　as　he　tottered　across　the