100 The Flame-Flower

them. These came with glittering white teeth
toward Flamma and Griffith; and Griffith
had sunk down on the oak-roots from many
wounds received before he had reached the
tree. Flamma crouched over him, covering
him, and covered her eyes with her hand.

But when the first wolf came within reach
of the tree, a bough swept down and hurled
him high into the air, so that he fell afar
off with a thud, and lay there; and the
boughs swept the ground incessantly, or
came crashing down upon the pack, crushing
the wolves to the earth; so that no wolf
might come within the sweep of the terrible
boughs: and the ground was strewn with
dead wolves in a great circle around the
tree. Then the rest drew away in great
fear, and disappeared into the undergrowth
whence they had come.

When the wolves had gone, and the great
boughs were still and silent, Flamma fetched
water from a pool and bathed Griffith’s
wounds, and bound them up with shreds
from her dress ; and by them stood the hama-
dryad, with the flame-flower in her breast,