"'Through teeth, and skull, and helmet,
So fierce a thrust he sped
The good sword stood a handbreadth out
Behind the Tuscan's head.'
"No one does anything like that now. Those were the days!"
"They were, certainly. The two swords next to Horatius's—who owned them?"
"Lord Barnard and Little Musgrave. You know the old ballad?"
And Mr. Gooch quoted again:
"'The first stroke little Musgrave struck,
He hurt Lord Barnard sore;
The next stroke that Lord Barnard struck,
Little Musgrave never struck more.'"
Then the collector showed me a rifle of modern pattern.