So they three went down together into the meadow, and there stood the
others by the hazel-garth: the goodman cowering and abject, Surly John
pale and anxious, and the two women clinging together in sore sorrow,
the grandam weeping sorely. But as they passed close by these last,
Stephen touched the grandam and said to her: "Sawest thou ever King
David the little?" "Nay," she said sobbing. "Look thou into the
hazel-garth presently then," said he, "and thou shalt see him with
eye."
So now they two stood in the hazelled field; it was two hours before
noon, the sky was overcast with a promise of the first snow of the
winter, but as yet none had fallen, and the field was dry and hard.
Now Hardcastle has Fiddlebow bare in his fist, but Osberne takes
Boardcleaver from his girdle and unwinds the peace-strings; then he
stands still for a moment and looks toward his foeman, who cries out
at him: "Haste thee, lad, I were fain done with it." Then Osberne
draws forth the blade, and it made a gleam of white in the grey day,
and as the folk say who stood thereby, as Boardcleaver came forth bare
there came a great humming sound all about. Then Osberne gets his
shield on his arm, and cries out: "Now thou warrior!" and straightway
Hardcastle comes leaping toward him, and Osberne abode him as he came
on with uplifted sword, leapt lightly to one side, and thrust forth
Boardcleaver and touched his side, so that all could see the blade had
drunk a little blood. Fiercely and fast turned Hardcastle about on the
lad, but therewith was he within the ruffler's stroke, and
Boardcleaver's point was steady before Osberne's breast, and met
Hardcastle's side and made a great wound with the point, and the
warrior staggered back, and his sword-point was lowered. Then cried
out Osberne: "What! Thou wouldst unbreech me, wouldst thou? But now art
thou unbreeched." For therewith Boardcleaver swept round backhanded
and came back as swift as lightning, and the edge clave all the right
flank and buttock of him, so that the blood ran freely; and then as
Hardcastle, still staggering, hove up his sword wildly, Osberne put
the slant stroke aside with his shield and thrust forth Boardcleaver
right at his breast, and the point went in, and the whole blade, as
there were nought but dough before it, and Hardcastle, nigh rent in
two, fell aback off the sword.
Osberne stood still a while looking on him, but Stephen ran up and
knelt beside him, and felt his wrist and laid his hand on the breast,
and then turned and looked up at Osberne, who knelt down beside him
also and wiped the blood off Boardcleaver with a lap of the dead man's
coat. Then he stood up and thrust the blade back into the sheath, and
wound the peace-strings about it all. Then came the word into his
mouth, and he sang:
Came sword and shield
To the hazelled field
Where the fey man fell
At Wethermel:
The grey blade grew glad
In the hands of a lad,
And the tall man and stark
Leapt into the dark.
For the cleaver of war-boards came forth from his door
And guided the hand of the lacking in lore.
But now is the blade
In the dark sheath laid,
And the peace-strings lull
His heart o'erfull.
Up dale and down
The hall-roofs brown
Hang over the peace
Of the year's increase.
No fear rendeth midnight and dieth the day
With no foe save the winter that weareth away.
Then he cried out: "Draw nigh, goodman and grandsire, and take again
the house and lands of Wethermel, as ye had them aforetime before
yesterday was a day." So the goodman came to him and kissed him and
thanked him kind and humbly, and the women came and embraced him and
hung about him. As for Surly John, he had slunk away so soon as he saw
the fall of his master, and now when they looked around for him, they
saw him but as a fleck going swiftly down the Dale. Thereat they all
laughed together, and the laughter eased their hearts, so that they
felt free and happy.
"Now," said Stephen, "what shall we do with this carcass, that was so
fierce and fell this morning?" Said Osberne: "We shall lay him in
earth here in his raiment as he fell, since he died in manly wise,
though belike he has lived as a beast. But his sword I will give to
thee in reward for thy trusty following both now and at other times."
So Stephen fetched mattock and pick, and dug a grave for that champion
amidwards of the hazel-garth, and there they laid him, and heaped up
mould and stones over his grave; and to this day it is called
Hardcastle's Howe there, or for short, and that the oftenest,
Hardcastle.
So they went all of them up to the house, and were merry and joyful.