He was bleeding at every point of his armor: he had
been run through the body several times, and a cut in tierce, delivered
with tremendous dexterity, had cloven the crown of his helmet of
Damascus steel, and passing through the cerebellum and sensorium, had
split his nose almost in twain.
His mouth foaming--his face almost green--his eyes full of blood--his
brains spattered over his forehead, and several of his teeth knocked
out,--the discomfited warrior presented a ghastly spectacle, as, reeling
under the effects of the last tremendous blow which the Knight of
Hombourg dealt, Sir Gottfried fell heavily from the saddle of his
piebald charger; the frightened animal whisked his tail wildly with a
shriek and a snort, plunged out his hind legs, trampling for one moment
upon the feet of the prostrate Gottfried, thereby causing him to shriek
with agony, and then galloped away riderless.
Away! ay, away!--away amid the green vineyards and golden cornfields;
away up the steep mountains, where he frightened the eagles in their
eyries; away down the clattering ravines, where the flashing cataracts
tumble; away through the dark pine-forests, where the hungry wolves are
howling away over the dreary wolds, where the wild wind walks alone;
away through the plashing quagmires, where the will-o'-the-wisp slunk
frightened among the reeds; away through light and darkness, storm
and sunshine; away by tower and town, high-road and hamlet.
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