The wrestlers stood after the old Cornishfashion, breast to breast, each resting his chin on the other's shoulder.They grasped each other round the body, each setting his left hand abovethe other's right. Each tried to force the other to touch the ground withboth shoulders and one hip, or with both hips and one shoulder; or else tocompel the other to relinquish his hold for an instant--either of thesesuccesses giving the victory. Often as Arthur had tried the art, he neverhad been so matched before. The competitors swayed this way and that,writhed, struggled, half lost their footing and regained it, yet neitheryielded. All the boatmen gathered breathlessly around, King Arthur's menrefusing to believe their eyes, even when they knew their king was indanger. A stranger group was that of the sullen farm-laborers, who lefttheir ploughs and spades, and, congregating on a rising ground, watchedwithout any expression of sympathy the contest that was going on. An oldwrestler from Cornwall, whom Arthur had brought with him, was the judge;and according to the habit of the time, the contest was for the best twobouts in three. By the utmost skill and strength, Arthur compelled HannerDyn to lose his hold for one instant in the first trial, and the King waspronounced the victor.The second test was far more difficult; the boy, now grown to a man, andseeming to grow older and stronger before their very eyes, twice forcedArthur to the ground either with hip or shoulder, but never with both,while the crowd closed in breathlessly around; and the half-blind oldDruid, who had himself been a wrestler in his youth, and who had beenbrought ashore to witness the contest, called warningly aloud, "Savethyself, O king!" At this Arthur roused his failing strength to one finaleffort, and, griping his rival round the waist with a mighty grasp, raisedhim bodily from the ground and threw him backward till he fell flat, likea log, on both shoulders and both hips; while Arthur himself fell faintinga moment later.
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