Science in those days there was but little of; it was a case rather of
hard, heavy hitting, than of what we now call swordsmanship.

With the sword Cuthbert gained but slight advantage over his adversary,
whose superior height enabled him to rain blows down upon the lad, which
he was with difficulty enabled to guard; but when the first paroxysm of
his adversary's attack had passed, he took to the offensive, and drove
his opponent back step by step. With his sword, however, he was unable to
cut through the armour of the Frenchman, but in the course of the
encounter, guarding a severe blow aimed at him, his sword was struck from
his hand, and he then, seizing his axe, made such play with it that his
foe dropped his own sword and took to the same weapon.

In this the superior height and weight of his opponent gave him even a
greater advantage than with the sword, and Cuthbert knowing this, used
his utmost dexterity and speed to avoid the sweeping blows showered upon
him. He himself had been enabled to strike one or two sweeping strokes,
always aiming at the same place, the juncture of the visor with the
helmet. At last the Frenchman struck him so heavy a blow that it beat
down his guard and struck his steel cap from his head, bringing him to
the knee. In an instant he was up, and before his foe could be again on
guard, he whirled his axe round with all its force, and bringing it just
at the point of the visor which he had already weakened with repeated
blows, the edge of the axe stove clean through the armour, and the page
was struck senseless to the ground.

A great shout broke from the English portion of the soldiery as Cuthbert
leant over his prostrate foe, and receiving no answer to the question "Do
you yield?" rose to his feet, and signified to the squire who had kept