And surely I had lost that trusted weapon, or been pulled over and cast
into the depth, but that the Diskos did spin, and the Earth-Current did
make live the handle--as was intended--save where the "grip" was set.
And lo! the man gave loose the handle very swift, for it had burned and
shaken the creature sore. And I staggered back, with the effort I had
made to withhold the Diskos; and the brutish man came upward again over
the rock edge, and leapt at me. Yet he gat me not; for I sprang unto my
right, and made a blow with the Diskos, even as I did leap. And the blow
came something short; but yet harmed the Humpt Man with a gash upon the
belly, very sore and horrid among the great brown hairs of the man. And
immediately he sprang after me; but I smote full at the face; so that he
leaped back from the strange roar and blaze of the Diskos, and yet was
harmed; for he gat not right free of the blow; but did be cut very sore
on the mighty and haired arm.
Now, seeing that he was something feared of the weapon, I ran in upon
him, and smote again at the face; yet was the man gone out of my reach
before that the blow did reach; for, truly, he was quick as a panther.
And immediately, he did leap unto the ending of the ledge, where it did
join upon the Rock; and he caught the living Rock between his two hands.
And truly the Rock must have been splitten there; for he tore out a
monstrous lump, so great near as my body; and did run upon me with the
rock above the head of him.
Now, I perceived I should be smashed in a moment, if that I did not slay
the man very quick. For so mighty was he, that he did leap this way and
that way after me, as though the great rock did cumber him no more than
it had been but a light matter.
And you shall perceive that I leapt this way and that way, to avoid the
man; and twice did strike him; but yet was feared to brake the Diskos
upon the rock, which the man did use as a shield each time that I did
make a blow. And all the while, I did act to escape when that the man
should cast the rock, as I did conceive at the first to be his intent.
Yet, truly, it was as that he had no wotting that a rock may be thrown;
for he strave only to come at me with the rock, that he should crush me,
as with a monstrous club. And, in verity, what should a man do against
so horrid an attack.
And time and oft did I leap now to the right and now to the left, and
again in a moment, I did cut the Humpt Man; but the blow was something
turned off by the great rock in the hands of the man; yet so strange and
mighty was the power of the Diskos, that it shore away a small portion
of the rock, and did come to no hurt in itself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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