“I know,” said Edmund. “But I’ll never get anywhere near you and you’ll be quite clever enough to disarm me without doing me any damage.”
“It’s a dangerous game,” said Trumpkin. “But sinake such a point of it, I’ll try a pass or two.”
Both swords were out in a moment and the three others jumped off the dais and stood watg. It was well worth it. It was not like the silly fighting you e with broad swords oage. It was not even like the rapier fighting which you sometimes e rather better dohis was real broad-sword fighting. The great thing is to slash at your enemy’s legs a becau they are the part that have no armor. And when he slashes at yours you jump with both feet off the ground so that his blow goes uhem. This gave the Dwarf an advantage becau Edmund, being much taller, had to be always stooping. I don’t think Edmund would have had a ce if he had fought Trumpkiy-four hours earlier. But the air of Narnia had been w upon him ever sihey arrived on the island, and all his old battles came ba, and his arms and fingers remembered their old skill. He was King Edmund once more. Round and round the two batants circled, stroke after stroke they gave, and Susan （who never could learn to like this sort of thing） shouted out, “Oh, do be careful.” And then, so quickly that no one （uhey kneeter did） could quite e how it happened, Edmund flashed his sword round with a peculiar twist, the Dwarf’s sword flew out of his grip, and Trumpkin was wringing his empty hand as you do after a “sting” from a cricket-bat.
“Not hurt, I hope, my dear little friend?” said Edmund, panting a little aurning his own sword to its sheath.
“I e the point,” said Trumpkin drily. “You know a trick I never learned.”
“That’s quite true,” put ier. “The best swordsman in the world may be disarmed by a trick that’s o him. I think it’s only fair to give Trumpkin a ce at something el. Will you have a shooting match with my sister? There are no tricks in archery, you know.”
“Ah, you’re jokers, you are,” said the Dwarf. “I begin to e. As if I didn’t know how she shoot, after what happehis m. All the same, I’ll have a try.” He spoke gruffly, but his eyes brightened, for he was a famous bowman among his own people.
All five of them came out into the courtyard.
“What’s to be the target?” asked Peter.
“I think that apple hanging over the wall on the branch there would do,” said Susan.
“That’ll do nicely, lass,” said Trumpkin. “You mean the yellow ohe middle of the arch?”
“No, not that,” said Susan. “The red one up above—over the battlement.”