At last, completely baffled, Roderic paused, drew back, and rested the
point of his long sword upon the hard ground.
"To the death!" said Kenric solemnly, also lowering his weapon.
"Ay, to your death be it," returned Roderic, wiping the blood from his
wounded neck with his bare hand. Then again, breathing deeply, he took
his ground.
Clash, clash went their mighty swords once more as they closed together
in their deadly combat. And now Roderic threw back his weapon with a
great swing, and bent his strong body to bring the blade down with a
final swoop upon Kenric's head. He made a furious spring forward. His
sword flashed in a half-circle, whizzing through the air with frightful
speed. It was a blow that might have felled an ox.
But the ponderous weapon met nothing until, slipping from his blood-wet
hand, it fell with a crash upon the hard ground. At the same moment
Roderic uttered a groan. He staggered forward with his empty hands
outspread. He fell with a heavy thud upon his right shoulder, rolled
over, and then lay stretched upon the turf with the point of Kenric's
sword buried deep in his heart.
A deathly silence followed, broken only by the moaning of the sea waves
as they curled upon the beach. Kenric breathed a deep sigh. With
difficulty he drew his terrible weapon from the breast of his dead foe.
The Thirsty Sword had drunk its final draught.
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