Joan of the Sword Hand

im!" said Werner. "We have shown our guests but a

ad, from one end of the hall to the other, undid his

ringia, the Bear from the Forests of Bor-Russia! Stand clear-stand clear!" cried Wern

to the dungeons of the castle was opened, and all looked

re sport," each man said t

the Sparhawk! Th

e door through which such a remarkable bird was to arrive. T

devil--?"

?" echoed Boris. For mostly these two ran ne

d heavily on the floor as he stumbled forward rather than walked into the room. He had black hair that waved from his forehead in a backward sweep, a nose of slightly Roman shape, which, together with his bold eagle's eyes, had obtained him the name of the Spar or Sparrow-hawk. And on his face,

than when last we met? Your servant, Count Maurice von Lynar! We pray you dance for

e and down with haughty ey

olk were all killed in the defence of Castle Lynar, on the Northern Haff. We know not which of these had also the claim of fatherhood upon him. At all events, his grandad had a manor there, and came from the Jutland sand-dunes to build a castle upon the Baltic shores. But

head and haughty eyes to the

ance for us as you used to do upon the Baltic, when the maids came in fresh from th

soul of a Danish gentleman with your aspersions, you may wound his body, but you will never be able to stand up to him in battle. You will never be worthy to eat

his breath, "that is none s

ntly, with the wind spinning you about and about like a capon on a jack-spit? They are uncanny folk, the

springald's pretty wri

r, and laying his hand upon the chain which depended between the ma

Maurice of Lynar has perforce to carry about with him all day long? Down with your weapo

his partisan and lifted the ba

the Danish milkmaid's coranto, or I will bid him

russ my hands and let me loose with a sword, and ten yards clear on the fl

nce?" said Werne

ou fry in hel

Werner. "He that will not dance at Cast

er, balancing it in one hand to give it more force. He prepare

ar as his chains allowed, the boy took the stooping lout on the face, and incontinently widened the

ed you, indeed! A brave Sparhawk! Down we

ose, splutte

I'll mark his pretty feet for him. He

oy on either side, so that he could not move

call this sport!" said Bori

arry this nest of thieves anon. For the present we m

ters!" cried Hans, spitting the blood

al