ago, when I flattened in his helmet with my blunted axe and stretched
him senseless on the ground; in faith, I meant not to hit so hard,
but he had been taunting me with my slowness, and seeing an opening
for a blow at his head I could not resist it, and struck, as he was
always telling me to do, quickly."

"You well-nigh killed him," Wulf said, shaking his head; "he has
not taken an axe in his hand since, at least not with either of us.
He said to me the first time I invited him to a bout, it was high
time a man should give up teaching when he came to be struck senseless
by a boy."

"Not much of a boy," Osgod replied, "seeing that I stand over six
feet high, and got my muscles hardened early at the forge. However,
he bears me no ill-will; all he ever said to me on the matter was,
'I am glad to see that you can shake off your sluggishness sometimes,
Osgod; I should have been less earnest in my advice to you to strike
more quickly if I had thought that you were going to do it at my
expense. Keep those blows for your master's enemies, lad. If you
deal them to his friends you will lessen their number.'"

"Have my horse brought round at once, Osgod, have the wallets packed,
and be ready to start in an hour's time. I cannot go without riding
over to say good-bye to the prior and some of the monks. Do you,
when you have packed, follow me; it is not greatly out of the way,
and I shall meet you on the road. A short half-hour will suffice
for me there."

"So Harold has sent for you, Wulf?" the prior said, when the young
thane told him that he was on the point of starting for London.