Копи царя Соломона

           Thentheybegantocircleroundeachother,theirbattle-axesraised. 

           SuddenlySirHenrysprangforwardandstruckafearfulblowatTwala,whosteppedtooneside. Soheavywasthestrokethatthestrikerhalfoverbalancedhimself, acircumstanceofwhichhisantagonisttookapromptadvantage. Circlinghismassivebattle-axeroundhishead,hebroughtitdownwithtremendousforce.Myheartjumpedintomymouth; Ithoughtthattheaffairwasalreadyfinished. Butno;withaquickupwardmovementoftheleftarmSirHenryinterposedhisshieldbetweenhimself andtheaxe,withtheresultthatitsouteredgewasshornaway,theaxefallingonhisleftshoulder, butnotheavilyenoughtodoanyseriousdamage. InanothermomentSirHenrygotinasecondblow,whichwasalsoreceivedbyTwalauponhisshield. 

           Thenfollowedblowuponblow,thatwere,inturn,eitherreceivedupontheshieldsoravoided. Theexcitementgrewintense; theregimentwhichwaswatchingtheencounterforgotitsdiscipline,and,drawingnear,shoutedandgroanedateverystroke. Justatthistime,too,Good,whohadbeenlaiduponthegroundbyme,recoveredfromhisfaint,and,sittingup,perceivedwhatwasgoingon. Inaninstanthewasup,andcatchingholdofmyarm,hoppedaboutfromplacetoplaceononeleg,draggingmeafterhim,andyellingencouragementstoSirHenry— 

           "Goit,oldfellow!"hehallooed."Thatwasagoodone!Giveithimamidships,"andsoon. 

           PresentlySirHenry,havingcaughtafreshstrokeuponhisshield,hitoutwithallhisforce.