the giant's armour. Then Colbrand threw three darts. The first two
passed wide, but the third crashed through Sir Guy's shield, and glided
betwixt his arm and side, nor fell to ground till it had sped over a
good acre of the field. Then a blow from the giant's sword just missed
the knight, but lighting on his saddle at the back of him hewed horse
and saddle clean in two; so Sir Guy was brought to ground. Yet lightly
sprang he to his feet, and though seemingly but a child beside the
monster man, he laid on hotly with his sword upon the giant's armour,
until the sword brake in his hands. Then Colbrand called on him to
yield, since he had no longer a weapon wherewith to fight. "Nay,"
answered Sir Guy, "but I will have one are of thine," and with that ran
deftly to the giant's side and wrenched away a battle-axe wherewith he
maintained the combat. Right well Sir Guy endured while Colbrand's
mighty strokes shattered his armour all about him, until his shield
being broke in pieces it seemed he could no longer make defence, and the
Danes raised a great shout at their champion's triumph. Then Colbrand
aimed a last stroke at the knight to lay him low, but Sir Guy lightly
avoiding it, the giant's sword smote into the earth a foot or more, and
before he could withdraw it or free his hand, Sir Guy hewed off the arm
with his battle-axe; and since Colbrand's weight leaned on that arm, he
fell to the ground. So Sir Guy cut off his head, and triumphed over the
giant Colbrand, and the Danes withdrew to their own country.

Then without so much as telling who he was, Sir Guy doffed his armour
and put on his palmer's weeds again, and secretly withdrawing himself
from all the feasts and games they held in honour of him in the city of
Winchester, passed out alone and took his journey toward Warwick on
foot.

Many a year had gone since he had left his wife and home. The boy whom