“Defend Thee, Lord!”
I paid three pennies for my breakfast, and a most extravagant price it was, too, seeing that one could have breakfasted a dozen persons for that money; but I was feeling good, by this time, and I hadⒶemendation always been a kind of spendthrift anyway; and then these people had wanted to give me the food for nothing, scant as their provision was, and so it was a grateful pleasure to emphasize my appreciation and sincere thankfulness with a good big financial lift where the money would do so much more good than it would in my helmet, where, these pennies being made of iron, and not stinted in weight, my halfⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS dollar’sⒶalteration in the MS worth was a good deal of a burden to me. I spent money rather too freely, in those days, it is true; but one reason for it was that I hadn’t got the proportions of things entirelyⒶalteration in the MS adjusted, even yet, after so long a sojourn in BritainⒶalteration in the MS—hadn’t got along to where I was able to absolutelyⒶalteration in the MS realize that a penny in Arthur’s [begin page 165] land and a couple ofⒶalteration in the MS dollars in Connecticut were about one and the same thing: just twins, as you may say, in purchasing power. If my start from Camelot could have been delayed a very few days I could have paid these people in beautifulⒶalteration in the MS new coins from our own mint, and that would have pleased me; and them, too, not less. I had adopted the American values exclusively. In a week or two, now, cents, nickels, dimes, quarters and half dollars, and also a trifle of gold,Ⓐalteration in the MS would be trickling in thin but steady streams all through the commercial veins of the kingdom, and I looked to see this new blood freshen up its life.Ⓐalteration in the MS
The farmers were bound to throw in something, to sort of offset my liberality, whether I would or no; so I let them give me a flint and steel; and as soon as they had comfortably bestowed Sandy and me on our horse, I lit my pipe. When the first blast of smoke shot out through the bars of my helmet, all those people broke for the woods, and Sandy went over backwards and struck the ground with a dull thud. They thought I was one of those fire-belching dragons they had heard so much about from knights and other professional liars. I had infiniteⒶalteration in the MS trouble to persuade those people to venture back within explaining distance. Then I told them that this was only a bit of enchantment which would work harm to none but my enemies. And I promised, with my hand on my heart,Ⓐalteration in the MS that ifⒶalteration in the MS all who feltⒶalteration in the MS no enmity toward me wouldⒶalteration in the MS come forward and pass before me, theyⒶalteration in the MS should see that only those who remained behind would be struck dead. The procession [begin page 166] moved,Ⓐalteration in the MS with a good deal of promptness. There were noⒶalteration in the MS casualties to report, for nobody had curiosity enough to remain behind to see what would happen.
I lost some time, now, for these big children, their fears gone, became so ravished with wonder over my awe-compelling fireworks that I had to stay there and smoke a couple of pipes out before they would let me go. Still, the delay was not wholly unproductive, for it took all that time to get Sandy thoroughlyⒶalteration in the MS wonted to the new thing, she being so close to it, you know. It plugged up her conversation-mill, too, for a considerable while, and that was a gain. But above all other benefits accruing, I had learned something. I was ready for any giant or any ogre that might come along, now.
We tarried with a holy hermit, that night, and my opportunity came about the middle of the next afternoon. We were crossing a vast meadow by way of short-cut, and I was musing absently, hearing nothing, seeing nothing, when Sandy suddenly interrupted a remark which she had begun that morning, with the cry—
“DefendⒶalteration in the MS thee, lord!—peril of life is toward!”
And she slipped downⒶalteration in the MS from the horse and ran a little way and stood. I looked up and saw, far off in the shade of a tree, half a dozen armed knights and their squires; and straightway there was bustle among
ButⒶalteration in the MS these people stopped, two or three hundred yards away, and this troubled me. My satisfaction collapsed, and fear came; I judged I was a lost man. But Sandy was radiant; and was going to be eloquent, but I stopped her, and told her my magic had miscarried, somehow or other, and sheⒶalteration in the MS must mount, with all dispatch, and we must ride for life. No, she wouldn’t. She said that my enchantment had disabled those knights; they were not riding on because they couldn’t; wait, they would drop out of their saddles presently, and we would get their horses and harness. I could not deceive such trusting simplicity, so I said it was a mistake; that when my fireworks killed at all, they killed instantly; no, the men would not die, there was something wrong about my apparatus, I couldn’t tell what; but we must hurry and get away, for those people would attack us again, in a minute. Sandy laughed, and said—
[begin page 168]
“Lack-a-day, sir, they be not of that breed! Sir Launcelot will give battle to dragons, and will abide by them, and will assail them again, and yet again and still again, until he do conquer and destroy them; and so likewise will Sir Pellinore, and Sir Aglovale,Ⓐalteration in the MS and Sir Carados,Ⓐalteration in the MS and mayhap others; but there be none else that will venture it, let the idle say what the idle will. And, la,Ⓐemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS as to yonderⒶemendation base rufflers,Ⓐalteration in the MS think ye they have not their fill, but yet desire more?”
“Well, then, what are they waiting, for? Why don’t they leave? Nobody’s hindering.Ⓐalteration in the MS Good land, I’m willing to let bygones be bygones, I’m sure.”
“Leave, is it? Oh, give thyself easement as to that. They dream not of it, no,Ⓐemendation not they. They wait to yield them.”
“Come—really, is that ‘sooth’Ⓐemendation—as you people say? If they want to, why don’t they?”
“It would like them much; but an ye wot how dragons are esteemed, ye would not hold them blamable. They fear to come.”
“Well, then, suppose I go to them instead, and—”
“Ah, wit yeⒶemendation well they would not abide your coming. I will go.”
And she did. She was a handy person to have along on a raid. I would have considered this a doubtful errand, myself. I presently saw the knights riding away, and Sandy coming back. That was a relief. I judged she had somehow failed to get the firstⒶtextual note innings—I mean in the conversation; otherwise the interview wouldn’t have been so short. But it turned out that she had managed the business well; in fact admirably. She said that when she told thoseⒶalteration in the MS people I was TheⒶalteration in the MS Boss, it hit them where they lived:Ⓐalteration in the MS “smote them sore with fear and dread” was her word; and then they were ready to put up with anything she might require. So she swore them to appearⒶalteration in the MS at Arthur’s courtⒶemendation within two days, and yield them,Ⓐalteration in the MS with horse and harness, and be my knights thenceforthⒶrejected substantive, and subject to my command. How much better she managed that thing than I should have done it myself! She was a daisy.