98 The Flame-Flower

stretched above Griffith waved wildly to and
fro, and up. and down, beating the ground
beneath. So swiftly did they wave, that
when any foeman hurled a javelin at Griffith
some branch would swing across, so that the
javelin stuck deeply into it, quivering there.
Yet when Griffith raised his axe to strike,
~ and brought it down, no branch impeded it.
Then a great fellow, at a sign from the wolf-
woman, slipped suddenly in while Griffith
fought hard with four others, and cut at
his head with his heavy sword; but swift
as light a bough waved across and caught
the sword, which cut deeply in and stuck
there, and Griffith’s axe severed the -man’s
head from his shoulders.

Flamma broke suddenly from the brush-
wood, and ran swiftly to Griffith’s side—so
swiftly that none barred her passage; and
as she came to his side, a branch that had
a javelin sticking in it bent quickly down
to her ; and she took the javelin, which came
easily out of the branch. Then two rushed
in to take her alive; but a bough swung
down upon them, hurling them away fifty