The Hot Swamp

it. As toyour offer to serve me, I would count it a favour if you will permit meto enter into combat with one of your friends."

  "Indeed!" exclaimed the king, in great surprise, "that is a strangerequest, but I may not deny you. Which of my warriors may it be?"

  "It is none of your warriors, sir," answered Bladud, "but one of yourguests who has, I am told, challenged whoever will to fight him for thehand of your fair daughter. I am here now to accept that challenge andto fight with Gunrig if he will."

  "Assuredly, young man, your ambition or presumption seems equal to yourprowess," returned the king with an offended look; "know ye not thatthis challenge was delivered to chiefs of this country, not to unknownstrangers, and although I admit that your tongue seems well accustomedto our language, it has a foreign smack about it which does not belongto those who are home-bred."

  "I am a chief," answered Bladud, proudly, "and this is my native land."

  "What is your name, then, and where come ye from?" demanded the king.

  "That I may not answer just now, but I am here, in your power, if what Isay be not found true, you may do what you will with me. Meanwhile Iask permission to accept the challenge."

  At this point Gunrig, unable to restrain himself longer, sprang forward.

  "Grant him permission, king," he cried. "If I were not ready to abideby my word I were not worth my salt. Nay, indeed, whether you grant himpermission or not I will fight him, for he has twice beaten me this day,and now insults me, therefore there is a deadly feud between us."

  "You were always a hot-head, Gunrig," replied the king, with a grimsmile. "But have your way. Only it does not follow that if you losethe day I will give my child to the conqueror."

  "Be that as you choose," said Gunrig, "I am now ready."

  As he spoke the fiery chief grasped his shield, leaped down into thearena and drew his sword.

  Bladud was not slow to follow. In those days action usually followedclose on the heels of purpose, and as the laws of chivalry had not yetbeen formulated there was no braying of trumpets or tedious ceremonialto delay the combat.

  "Oh! I do hope he will conquer," whispered the Princess Hafrydda to herdark-eyed companion, "and save me from that horrid man."

  "I hope so too," returned Branwen, in a subdued voice, "but--"

  She stopped abruptly, and a blush deepened the rich colour of her cheek,which she sought to conceal by drawing her shawl still closer over it.This was needless, for the clash of swords at the moment, as thecombatants met in deadly conflict, claimed the exclusive attention ofthe damsels, and caused the entire concourse to press close around thebarricades with eager interest.

  "A strange way to mark his home-coming," muttered Captain Arkal,thrusting himself as near to the scene of action as possible, closelyfollowed by Maikar, who, being little, kept easily in his wake.

  "He knows well what he's about," returned the little man, whoseadmiration for Bladud was great, and his belief in him unbounded.

  Maikar was one of those men--of whom there are no doubt thousands--whopowerfully appreciate, almost venerate, and always recognise, the spiritof justice when displayed by their fellows, although they may not alwaysbe aware of the fact that they do recognise it--hence his belief in theprince.

  "A good day for the land if that long-legged fellow slays him," remarkedone of the crowd.

  "That's true," said another.

  Indeed, this seemed to be the opinion of most of the spectators; therewas also a general expression of confidence that the stranger was sureto be victorious, but some objectors--of whom there are, and necessarilymust be a considerable number in the world--held that Gunrig was a stoutman to tackle, and it was not always length of limb that gained the day.

  Such comments, however, were not numerous, for the concourse soon becametoo deeply absorbed to indulge in speech.

  The fight that now ensued gave some weight to the objectors' views.

  At first the combatants rushed at each other with the ferocity of menwho mean to settle a dispute by instant and mutual destruction, andthere was a sort of gasp of excited surprise among the people as the twoswords fell at the same moment with something like a thunderclap on therespective shields. Feeling that neither could overcome the other bythe might of a resistless blow, each, after one or two rapid cuts,thrusts, and guards, ascertained that his adversary was so nearly hismatch as to render great care needful. They retired a few paces, andthen advancing, settled down to their work, point to point and foot tofoot.

  Gunrig, although inferior in stature to the prince, was about equal tohim in strength and weight, and, being a trained warrior in the prime oflife, was possessed of a sturdy endurance which, to some extent, made upfor the other's superior agility. In other respects they seemed wellmatched, for each was highly trained and expert in the use of hisweapons.

  After a second onset, somewhat similar to the first, and with much thesame result, the two went at each other with cut and thrust so rapidlythat it was almost impossible to distinguish their swords as theyflashed like gleaming flames in the sunshine.

  Suddenly Gunrig drew back, and, springing at the prince with upliftedweapon, as if to cut him down, changed the attack into a quick thrustwhich, passing under the youth's uplifted shield, went straight to hisbreast. But the quick eye of Bladud detected the intention in time.Leaping lightly backward, he caused the thrust to come short; at thesame time he returned with a quick thrust at the chief's right shoulderwhich took effect slightly. Giving him no time to recover, he made asweeping cut at Gunrig's neck, which, had it fallen, would have shornhis head from his shoulders, but the chief, instead of guarding it,suddenly stooped, and, as the sword passed whistling above him, returnedwith a thrust so fierce that it pierced right through the thick shieldopposed to it.

  Here was an opportunity of which Bladud was not slow to avail himself.Although the arm which held it was slightly wounded, he gave the shielda violent and sudden twist, which not only held the weapon fast butnearly wrenched it out of the chief's hand. An ordinary sword wouldhave been snapped, but Gunrig's weapon was a big bronze one that haddone service in many a fray, and its owner's hand was strong. He heldit fast, but before he could withdraw it and recover himself Bladud cuthim fair over the head. Whether it was accident or design no one couldtell, but the flat instead of the edge of his sword descended on theheadpiece, and the blow which should otherwise have cleft his adversaryto the chin only stretched him insensible on the field.

  A great sigh of relief, mingled with wild cheers of satisfaction,greeted this effective termination of the fight, and the king wasevidently not ill-pleased.

  "Pick him up, some of you," he said, pointing to the prostrate Gunrig,"and carry him to the palace. See that he is well cared for. Go,Branwen, and see that everything is properly done for him."

  Branwen at once left the stand, and the king, descending into the arena,proceeded to congratulate the victor.

  Before he could do so, however, to his unbounded surprise, the queenalso descended with her daughter and threw her arms round the prince'sneck, while Hafrydda seized his hand and covered it with kisses.

  "Body of me! am I dreaming?" cried the king, after a few moments ofspeechless amazement.

  "Oh! Bladud," exclaimed the queen, looking up in his smiling face, "didyou really think you could deceive your own mother? Fie, fie, I wouldhave recognised you if you had come with your face painted black."

  By this time the king had recovered, and realised the fact that hislong-lost son had returned home. He strode towards him, and, graspinghis hand, essayed to speak, but something in his throat rendered speechimpossible. King Hudibras was a stern man, however, and scorned to showwomanly weakness before his people. He turned suddenly round, kicked afew courtiers out of his way, remounted the platform, and, in a loudvoice, announced the conclusion of the sports.

  Great was the rejoicing among the people assembled there, when the newsspread that the long-lost Prince Bladud had returned home, and that thetall yo
uth who had defeated Gunrig was he, and they cheered him witheven more zest and energy than they had at the moment of his victory.

  Meanwhile Gunrig, having been conveyed to the residence of the king, waslaid on a couch. The palace was, we need scarcely say, very unlike ourmodern palaces, being merely a large hut or rude shanty of logs,surrounded by hundreds of similar but smaller huts, which composed thisprimitive town. The couch on which the chief lay was composed ofbrushwood and leaves. But Gunrig did not lie long upon it. He was atough man, as well as a stout, and he had almost recovered consciousnesswhen the princess, returning from the games, arrived to assist herfriend in attending to the king's commands.

  She found Branwen about to enter the chamber, in which the chief lay,with a bandage.

  "Hast