He tears his shield from his left arm, and with it,
says Gaimar, brains two more.
But the end is come. Taillebois and Evermue are behind him now; four
lances are through his back, and bear him down to his knees.
"Cut off his head, Breton!" shouted Ivo. Raoul de Dol rushed forward,
sword in hand. At that cry Hereward lifted up his dying head. One stroke
more ere it was all done forever.
And with a shout of "Torfrida!" which made the Bruneswald ring, he hurled
the shield full in the Breton's face, and fell forward dead.
The knights drew their lances from that terrible corpse slowly and with
caution, as men who have felled a bear, yet dare not step within reach of
the seemingly lifeless paw.
"The dog died hard," said Ivo. "Lucky for us that Sir Ascelin had news of
his knights being gone to Crowland. If he had had them to back him, we had
not done this deed to-day."
"I will make sure," said Ascelin, as he struck off the once fair and
golden head.
"Ho, Breton," cried Ivo, "the villain is dead. Get up, man, and see for
yourself. What ails him?"
But when they lifted up Raoul de Dol his brains were running down his
face; and all men stood astonished at that last mighty stroke.
"That blow," said Ascelin, "will be sung hereafter by minstrel and maiden
as the last blow of the last Englishman.
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