And still the shafts4 rained down on that throng5 from the Bent6 of the Bowmen, for another two score men of the Woodlanders had crept down the hill to them, and shafts failed them not. But the Dusky Men about the altar, for all their terror, or even maybe because of it, now began to turn upon the scarce-seen foemen, and to press up wildly toward the hill-side, though as it were without any order or aim. Every man of them had his weapons, and those no mere8 gilded9 toys, but their very tools of battle; and some, but no great number, had their bows with them and a few shafts; and these began to shoot at whatsoever10 they could see on the hill-side, but at first so wildly and hurriedly that they did no harm.
It must be said of them that at first only those about the altar fell on toward the hill; for those about the road that led southward knew not what had betided nor whither to turn. So that at this beginning of the battle, of all the thousands in the great Place it was but a few hundreds that set on the Bent of the Bowmen, and at these the bowmen of the kindreds shot so close and so wholly together that they fell one over another in the narrow ways between the houses whereby they must needs go to gather on the plain ground betwixt the backs of the houses and the break of the hill-side. But little by little the archers11 of the Dusky Men gathered behind the corpses12 of the slain13, and fell to shooting at what they could see of the men of the kindreds, which at that while was not much, for as bold as they were, they fought like wary14 hunters of the Wood and the Waste.
But now at last throughout all that throng of Felons16 in the Market-place the tale began to spread of foemen come into the Dale and shooting from the Bents, and all they turned their faces to the hill, and the whole set of the throng was thitherward; though they fared but slowly, so evil was the order of them, each man hindering his neighbour as he went. And not only did the Dusky Men come flockmeal toward the Bent of the Bowmen, but also they jostled along toward the road that led southward. That beheld17 Wood-wise from the Bent, and he was minded to get him and his aback, now that they had made so great a slaughter18 of the foemen; and two or three of his fellows had been hurt by arrows, and Bow-may, she would have been slain thrice over but for the hammer-work of the Alderman. And no marvel19 was that; for now she stood on a little mound20 not half covered by a thin thorn-bush, and notched21 and loosed at whatever was most notable, as though she were shooting at the mark on a summer evening in Shadowy Vale. But as Wood-wise was at point to give the word to depart, from behind them rang out the merry sound of the Burgdale horns, and he turned to look at the wood-side, and lo! thereunder was the hill bright and dark with men-at-arms, and over them floated the Banners of the Wolf, and the Banners of the Steer22, the Bridge, and the Bull. Then gave forth23 the bowmen of the kindreds their first shout, and they made no stay in their shooting; but shot the eagerer, for they deemed that help would come without their turning about to draw it to them: and even so it was. For straightway down the bent came striding Face-of-god betwixt the two Banners of the Wolf, and beside him were Red-wolf the tall and War-grove, and therewithal Wood-wont and Wood-wicked, and many other men of the Wolf; for now that the men of the kindreds had been brought face to face with the foe7, and there was less need of them for way-leaders, the more part of them were liefer to fight under their own banner along with the Woodlanders; so that the company of those who went under the Wolves was more than three long hundreds and a half; and the bowmen on the edge of the bent shouted again and merrily, when they felt that their brothers were amongst them, and presently was the arrow-storm at its fiercest, and the twanging of bow-strings and the whistle of the shafts was as the wind among the clefts24 of the mountains; for all the new-comers were bowmen of the best.
But the kindreds of the Steer, the Bridge, and the Bull, they hung yet a while longer on the hills’ brow, their banners floating over them and their horns blowing; and the Dusky Felons in the Market-place beheld them, and fear and rage at once filled their hearts, and a fierce and dreadful yell brake out from them, and joyously25 did the Men of Burgdale answer them, and song arose amongst them even such as this:
The Men of the Bridge sing:
Why stand ye together, why bear ye the shield,
Now the calf26 straineth tether at edge of the field?
Now the lamb bleateth stronger and waters run clear,
And the day groweth longer and glad is the year?
Now the mead-flowers jostle so thick as they stand,
And singeth the throstle all over the land?
The Men of the Steer sing:
No cloud the day darkened, no thunder we heard,
But the horns’ speech we hearkened as men unafeared.
Yea, so merry it sounded, we turned from the Dale,
Where all wealth abounded27, to wot of its tale.
The Men of the Bridge sing:
What white boles then bear ye, what wealth of the woods?
What chafferers hear ye bid loud for your goods?
The Men of the Bull sing:
O the bright beams we carry are stems of the steel;
Nor long shall we tarry across them to deal.
Hark the men of the cheaping, how loudly they cry
On the hook for the reaping of men doomed28 to die!
They all sing:
Heave spear up! fare forward, O Men of the Dale!
For the Warrior29, our war-ward, shall hearken the tale.
Therewith they ceased a moment, and then gave a great and hearty30 shout all together, and all their horns blew, and they moved on down the hill as one man, slowly and with no jostling, the spear-men first, and then they of the axe31 and the sword; and on their flanks the deft32 archers loosed on the stumbling jostling throng of the Dusky Men, who for their part came on drifting and surging up the road to the hill.
But when those big spearmen of the Dale had gone a little way the horns’ voice died out, and their great-staved spears rose up from their shoulders into the air, and stood so a moment, and then slowly fell forward, as the oars33 of the longship fall into the row-locks, and then over the shoulders of the foremost men showed the steel of the five ranks behind them, and their own spears cast long bars of shadow on the whiteness of the sunny road. No sound came from them now save the rattle34 of their armour35 and the tramp of their steady feet; but from the Dusky Men rose up hideous36 confused yelling, and those that could free themselves from the tangle37 of the throng rushed desperately38 against the on-rolling hedge of steel, and the whole throng shoved on behind them. Then met steel and men; here and there an ash-stave broke; here and there a Dusky Felon15 rolled himself unhurt under the ash-staves, and hewed39 the knees of the Dalesmen, and a tall man came tottering40 down; but what men or wood-wights could endure the push of spears of those mighty41 husbandmen? The Dusky Ones shrunk back yelling, or turned their backs and rushed at their own folk with such fierce agony that they entered into the throng, till the terror of the spear reached to the midmost of it and swayed them back on the hindermost; for neither was there outgate for the felons on the flanks of the spearmen, since there the feathered death beset42 them, and the bowmen (and the Bride amongst the foremost) shot wholly together, and no shaft3 flew idly. But the wise leaders of the Dalesmen would not that they should thrust in too far amongst the howling throng of the Dusky Men, lest they should be hemmed43 in by them; for they were but a handful in regard to them: so there they stayed, barring the way to the Dusky Men, and the bowmen still loosed from the flanks of them, or aimed deftly44 from betwixt the ranks of the spearmen.
And now was there a space of ten strides or more betwixt the Dalesmen and their foes45, over which the spears hung terribly, nor durst the Dusky Men adventure there; and thereon was nought46 but men dead or sorely hurt. Then suddenly a horn rang thrice shrilly47 over all the noise and clamour of the throng, and the ranks of the spearmen opened, and forth into that space strode two score of the swordsmen and axe-wielders of the Dale, their weapons raised in their hands, and he who led them was Iron-hand of the House of the Bull: tall he was, wide-shouldered, exceeding strong, but beardless and fair-faced. He bore aloft a two-edged sword, broad-bladed, exceeding heavy, so that few men could wield48 it in battle, but not right long; it was an ancient weapon, and his father before him had called it the Barley-scythe. With him were some of the best of the kindreds, as Wolf of Whitegarth, Long-hand of Oakholt, Hart of Highcliff, and War-well the captain of the Bridge. These made no tarrying on that space of the dead, but cried aloud their cries: ‘For the Burg and the Steer! for the Dale and the Bridge! for the Dale and the Bull!’ and so fell at once on the Felons; who fled not, nor had room to flee; and also they feared not the edge-weapons so sorely as they feared those huge spears. So they turned fiercely on the swordsmen, and chiefly on Iron-hand, as he entered in amongst them the first of all, hewing49 to the right hand and the left, and many a man fell before the Barley-scythe; for they were but little before him. Yet as one fell another took his place, and hewed at him with the steel axe and the crooked50 sword; and with many strokes they clave his shield and brake his helm and rent his byrny, while he heeded51 little save smiting52 with the Barley-scythe, and the blood ran from his arm and his shoulder and his thigh53.
But War-well had entered in among the foe on his left hand, and unshielded hove up a great broad-bladed axe, that clave the iron helms of the Dusky Men, and rent their horn-scaled byrnies. He was not very tall, but his shoulders were huge and his arms long, and nought could abide54 his stroke. He cleared a ring round Iron-hand, whose eyes were growing dim as the blood flowed from him, and hewed three strokes before him; then turned and drew the champion out of the throng, and gave him into the arms of his fellows to stanch55 the blood that drained away the might of his limbs; and then with a great wordless roar leaped back again on the Dusky Men as the lion leapeth on the herd56 of swine; and they shrank away before him; and all the swordsmen shouted, ‘For the Bridge, for the Bridge!’ and pressed on the harder, smiting down all before them. On his left hand now was Hart of Highcliff wielding57 a good sword hight Chip-driver, wherewith he had slain and hurt a many, fighting wisely with sword and shield, and driving the point home through the joints58 of the armour. But even therewith, as he drave a great stroke at a lord of the Dusky Ones, a cast-spear came flying and smote59 him on the breast, so that he staggered, and the stroke fell flatlings on the shield-boss of his foe, and Chip-driver brake atwain nigh the hilts; but Hart closed with him, and smote him on the face with the pommel, and tore his axe from his hand and clave his skull60 therewith, and slew61 him with his own weapon, and fought on valiantly62 beside War-well.
Now War-well had fought so fiercely that he had rent his own hauberk with the might of his strokes, and as he raised his arm to smite63 a huge stroke, a deft man of the Felons thrust the spike64 of his war-axe up under his arm; and when War-well felt the smart of the steel, he turned on that man, and, letting his axe fall down to his wrist and hang there by its loop, he caught the foeman up by the neck and the breech, and drave him against the other Dusky Ones before him, so that their weapons pierced and rent their own friend and fellow. Then he put forth the might of his arms and the pith of his body, and hove up that felon and cast him on to the heads of his fellow murder-carles, so that he rent them and was rent by them. Then War-well fell on again with the axe, and all the champions of the Dale shouted and fell on with him, and the foe shrank away; and the Dalesmen cleared a space five fathoms’ length before them, and the spearmen drew onward65 and stood on the space whereon the first onslaught had been.
Then drew those hewers of the Dale together, and forth from the company came the man that bare the Banner of the Bridget and the champions gathered round him, and they ordered their ranks and strode with the Banner before them three times to and fro across the road athwart the front of the spearmen, and then with a great shout drew back within the spear-hedge. Albeit66 five of the champions of the Dale had been slain outright67 there, and the more part of them hurt more or less.
But when all were well within the ranks, once again blew the horn, and all the spears sank to the rest, and the kindreds drave the spear-furrow, and a space was swept clear before them, and the cries and yells of the Dusky Men were so fierce and wild that the rough voices of the Dalesmen were drowned amidst them.
Forth then came every bowman of the kindred that was there and loosed on the Dusky Men; and they forsooth had some bowmen amongst them, but cooped up and jostled as they were they shot but wildly; whereas each shaft of the Dale went home truly.
But amongst the bowmen forth came the Bride in her glittering war-gear, and stepped lightly to the front of the spearmen. Her own yew68 bow had been smitten69 by a shaft and broken in her hand: so she had caught up a short horn bow and a quiver from one of the slain of the Dusky Men; and now she knelt on one knee under the shadow of the spears nigh to her grandsire Hall-ward, and with a pale face and knitted brow notched and loosed, and notched and loosed on the throng of foemen, as if she were some daintily fashioned engine of war.
So fared the battle on the road that went from the south into the Market-stead. Valiantly had the kindred fought there, and no man of them had blenched70, and much had they won; but the way was perilous71 before them, for the foe was many and many.
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1
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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2
thralls
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| n.奴隶( thrall的名词复数 )；奴役；奴隶制；奴隶般受支配的人 | |
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shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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5
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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7
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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8
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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9
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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10
whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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11
archers
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| n.弓箭手，射箭运动员( archer的名词复数 ) | |
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12
corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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13
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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14
wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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15
felon
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| n.重罪犯；adj.残忍的 | |
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felons
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| n.重罪犯( felon的名词复数 )；瘭疽；甲沟炎；指头脓炎 | |
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17
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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18
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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19
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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20
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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21
notched
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| a.有凹口的，有缺口的 | |
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22
steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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23
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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24
clefts
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| n.裂缝( cleft的名词复数 )；裂口；cleave的过去式和过去分词；进退维谷 | |
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25
joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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26
calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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27
abounded
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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29
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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30
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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31
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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32
deft
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| adj.灵巧的，熟练的（a deft hand 能手） | |
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33
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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34
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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35
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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36
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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37
tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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38
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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39
hewed
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| v.（用斧、刀等）砍、劈( hew的过去式和过去分词 )；砍成；劈出；开辟 | |
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40
tottering
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| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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41
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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42
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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43
hemmed
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| 缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围 | |
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44
deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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45
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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46
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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47
shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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48
wield
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| vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等) | |
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49
hewing
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| v.（用斧、刀等）砍、劈( hew的现在分词 )；砍成；劈出；开辟 | |
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50
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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51
heeded
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
smiting
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的现在分词 ) | |
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53
thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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54
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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55
stanch
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| v.止住（血等）；adj.坚固的；坚定的 | |
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56
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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57
wielding
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| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的现在分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
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58
joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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59
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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60
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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61
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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62
valiantly
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| adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳 | |
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63
smite
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| v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿 | |
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64
spike
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| n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效 | |
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65
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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66
albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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67
outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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68
yew
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| n.紫杉属树木 | |
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69
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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70
blenched
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| v.（因惊吓而）退缩，惊悸( blench的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）变白，（使）变苍白 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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