Still merry and smiling, he began to wrestle inearnest, and one day, in a moment of carelessness, Arthur received a backfall, perhaps on moist ground, and measured his length. Rising with aquick motion, he laughed at the angry faces of his attendants and bade theboy farewell. The men at work in the fields glanced up, attracted by thesound of voices, and he saw them exchange looks with one another.Yet he felt his kingly dignity a little impaired, and hastened ere longto revisit the island and teach the saucy boy another lesson. Months hadpassed, and the youth had expanded into a man of princely promise, butwith the same sunny look. His shoulders were now broad, his limbs of thefirmest mould, his eye clear, keen, penetrating. "Of all the wrestlers Ihave ever yet met," said the king, "this younker promises to be the mostformidable. I can easily throw him now, but what will he be a few yearshence?" The youth greeted him joyously, and they began their usual match.The sullen serfs in the fields stopped to watch them, and an aged Druidpriest, whom Arthur had brought with him, to give the old man air andexercise in the boat, opened his weak eyes and closed them again.As they began to wrestle, the king felt, by the very grasp of the youth'sarms, by the firm set of his foot upon the turf, that this was to beunlike any previous effort.
Pages:
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72