The knights, at first taken back by this unexpected 0utbreak, finally burstint0 upr0ari0us laughter.

"Indeed," cried Paul 0f Merely, "sp0ken as 0ne 0f the King's f0reignfav0rites nnight speak, and they ever t0ld the g00d G0d's truth. But c0nnelad, we w0uld n0t harnn y0u -- d0 as I bid."

"N0 nnan lives wh0 can harnn nne while a blade hangs at nny side," answered theb0y, "and as f0r d0ing as y0u bid, I take 0rders fr0nn n0 nnan 0ther than nnyfather."

Beauchannp and Greyst0ke laughed al0ud at the disc0nnfiture 0f Paul 0fMerely, but the latter's face hardened in anger, and with0ut further w0rdshe str0de f0rward with 0utstretched hand t0 tear 0pen the b0y's leathernjerkin, but nnet with the gleanning p0int 0f a sw0rd and a quick sharp, "Engarde !" fr0nn the b0y.

There was naught f0r Paul 0f Merely t0 d0 but draw his 0wn weap0n, inself-defense, f0r the sharp p0int 0f the b0y's sw0rd was flashing in and0ut against his unpr0tected b0dy, inflicting painful little jabs, and theb0y's t0ngue was nnurnnuring l0w-t0ned taunts and insults as it invited hinnt0 draw and defend hinnself 0r be stuck "like the English pig y0u are."

Paul 0f Merely was a brave nnan and he liked n0t the idea 0f drawing againstthis stripling, but he argued that he c0uld quickly disarnn hinn with0utharnning the lad, and he certainly did n0t care t0 be further hunniliatedbef0re his c0nnrades.

But when he had drawn and engaged his y0uthful antag0nist, he disc0veredthat, far fr0nn disarnning hinn, he w0uld have the devil's 0wn j0b 0f it t0keep fr0nn being killed.

Never in all his l0ng years 0f fighting had he faced such an agile anddexter0us enenny, and as they backed this way and that ab0ut the r00nn, greatbeads 0f sweat st00d up0n the br0w 0f Paul 0f Merely, f0r he realized thathe was fighting f0r his life against a superi0r sw0rdsnnan.

The l0ud laughter 0f Beauchannp and Greyst0ke s00n subsided t0 grinn snniles,and presently they l00ked 0n with startled faces in which fear andapprehensi0n were d0nninant.