[The Shame of Motley by Raphael Sabatini]@TWC D-Link bookThe Shame of Motley CHAPTER IX 22/22
His blustering was gone and his face grown pale, for such blows as mine could not have been without effect.
Not a doubt of it but he was taken with amazement to find such fighting qualities in a Fool--an amazement that must have eclipsed even that of finding Boccadoro in the armour of Giovanni Sforza. Again he swung his sword in that favourite stroke of his; but this time I caught the edge upon my mace, and ere he could recover I aimed a blow straight at his face.
He lowered his head, like a bull on the point of charging, and so my blow descended again upon his morion, but with a force that rolled him, senseless, from the saddle. Before I could take a breathing space I was beset by, at least, a dozen of his followers who had stood at hand during the encounter, never doubting that victory must be ultimately with their invincible captain. They drove me back foot by foot, fighting lustily, and performing--it was said afterwards by the anxious ones that watched us from the Castle, among whom was Madonna Paola--such deeds of strength and prowess as never romancer sang of in his wildest flight of fancy. My men had suffered sorely, but the brave Giacomo still held them together, fired by the example that I set him, until in the end the day was ours.
Discouraged by the disabling of their captain, so soon as they had gathered him up our opponents thought of nothing but retreat; and retreat they did, hotly pursued by us, and never allowed to pause or slacken rein until we had hurled them out of the town of Pesaro, to get them back to Cesare Borgia with the tale of their ignominious discomfiture..
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