"
"Let one of those varlets but touch me with his hand," said Roderic,
"and I will break his back across my knee. And you, who are you, my
young knave, that dares to threaten his betters? By St. Olaf, but you
are passing bold to speak of prisoning me in the walls wherein I was
born. Away with you to your couch; this is no hour for bairns to be awake."
Then turning to the lord of Colonsay he said: "Slip you out behind the
young whelp, Sweyn, and bring me the knife you wot of. This is surely
the stripling of whom we heard. He barks passing well; let us see if he
can bite. A few ells of cold steel will speedily settle him, I warrant me."
Earl Sweyn stepped towards the door, but one of the men of Rothesay
bounded forward and caught him in his strong arms, struggled with him
for a moment, and then flung him heavily to the floor.
Roderic, seeing this and waxing wrathful, sprang lightly from his seat,
and ere Kenric could well understand his intention he had caught hold of
the youth and gripped him by his sword hand. He wreathed his other
strong arm round the lad's lithe body. Long he wrestled with him, but at
last he drew him down by main force with his back across his thigh and
his right hand set hard at his throat. With his left hand he again
gripped Kenric's sword hand and tried to wrest the weapon from his
grasp.
Pages:
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54