The man started aback on hearing his own speech, and his strength seemed to fail him. Wildly and long he gazed upon her, and his spear shook as he made to draw it forth, and his knees quaked and rocked beneath him; then he leant upon his staff as one like to fall. But on came Osbert, now mounted upon his horse. Then as suddenly the stranger grew tall again, and too late to draw forth his spear, quickly caught Osbert’s blow on his staff, and such was the force of it, that it was cut in twain. Then, sure of victory, Osbert aimed his blows, but with wondrous skill and quickness the stranger caught them on the broken staff.

Then Torfrida cried out: “Oh, coward, faint of heart, to attack staff with steel! Shame be upon thee!” and turning to the stranger she cast her own small sword, which she used for killing game, at his feet, saying in the Gaelic: “Take thou this; though it be but a maiden’s, much may such as thou seemest do with it.”

Then the wild man, striking up the sword of Osbert once again, brought his broken staff down upon the head of his beast with such strength that it reeled and fell over on to the ground. But lightly the horseman sprang down while his antagonist stooped and lifted Torfrida’s sword. Then put they their steel together, and the thane was still sure of the victory, though greatly he marvelled at the wild man’s length of limb and largeness of muscle. And foot to foot they went, and many a pass and downstroke did Osbert try, but in vain; ever the wild man with his small sword was before him, and ever wearier Osbert grew, whiles the stranger waxed stronger, beating down his guard. And all the youths and Torfrida marvelled at such a wondrous swordsmith. At length he sent the brand of Osbert from his hand with a quick turn, and utterly abashed before the lady’s eyes, the thane stood defenceless.

Then said Torfrida to him: “Badly hast thou fared by attempting the life of a madman. Of great quickness in swordsmanship truly art thou, and well hast thou granted the favour I asked, of this poor creature’s life—I wotting not at that time how little it would be risked in combat with thee. Nay, he might well have overcome thee with the broken staff as he meant to do.”

Then Feargus took Osbert’s sword and her own and offered them to Torfrida. And she said: “Nay, keep thou the thane’s sword, thou hast fairly won it, and it is well wrought and will serve thee; and I see thou knowest how to be gentle with women and hast obeyed me, and I owe thee thanks for sparing the life of this braggart. Thou shalt not lack a friend or any that weareth the plaid while I can help. Follow me an’ thou wilt, gentle Pict.”

Willingly he obeyed, and the lines on his brow grew deep and his face became as that of one who laboureth with some great thought, and like a dog he followed, with his head sunk on his breast, but never a word had he spoken. And so he followed her thereafter in all her outgoings, and at night lay on the threshold. And he walked always with troubled brow, looking neither to the right hand nor the left, nor heeded nor obeyed any person, not even the king, except Torfrida. And when she was present he gazed only upon her, from beneath his matted locks, and when she was away his eyes were ever downcast and his feet knew no rest.

CHAPTER XII
THE OUTLAWS OF SHERWOOD

And so the wild man was allowed to stay about the court of Sigmund, though Osbert tried hard to get him away, and even set two of his own men to slay him; but the stranger broke the skull of one and the leg of the other and himself escaped without scath. Now one day it chanced that the ladies of the court were out hunting in the forest of Sherwood, which came down near to the town of Nottingham where they were staying, and they had no escort save one or two pages and the stranger, who being able to keep pace with a horse, so fleet was he, followed the party. The day was bright and warm and the sun shone down through the branches and made all the forest gay with its splendour. And so they rode on deeper into the wood than was their wont, and they scattered themselves through a glade where, the branches interlacing overhead, the earth was streaked with soft sun and shadow. Then Torfrida stayed her palfrey—gold caparisoned and round of limb—and it and its mistress sitting motionless, lost in reverie, were so full of sweetness that a fairy vision come hither on a sunbeam they seemed. But so merry were the others that none saw the four rough men who lurked in the thicket close by. They were not of a mind and one said—