The ball was put in the sand. They gathered round it. The champion of the red belt had the ball. He struck it. When it fell he was shaking it again. Not one man on the strand got a blow at it till he put it to the goal.
“Now,” said he, “did you not get fair play?”
“I got it; you are the best champion ever I saw.”
“Put the men in a row that I may get my blows.”
He put the men standing in a row. “Now,” said he to his brother, “any man that I don’t knock down, knock him down you.”
He struck the first blow. He killed. He struck the second blow then. He killed. He was striking and killing. There was one man at the end outside. When he came killing, drawing towards him, he went out of the row. He went up on the side of a hill.
“Death and destruction and the death-bands on you, champion of the red belt! It is you that are doing the slaughter on this strand to-day. Don’t you know what country you came out of?—that it is out of a two-ended barrel you came in to the court and castle of the King of Greece?”
“I will not wait. I saw you killing many a one. Perhaps you will kill me.”
“My word to you, I will not touch you till you tell me about the barrel.”
He went up then till he came to the place where he was sitting. “What is it you say about the barrel?”
“It is a two-ended barrel the old man found by the sea. He took you out of the barrel; he took you home. The king heard he had found two children in the barrel. He did not believe it. He went down to the old man to see if he had found them. The old man said he had. He brought down the youngsters. The king sat down. He took hold of them by the hand. He viewed them. He said they had royal blood.”
“‘Give me the children. I will care for them better than you.’
“‘It is hard for me to give them from me.’
“He could not refuse the king. The king said he would not let them have a day of want. ‘I will support you and your old woman as long as you are alive.’
“The King of Greece is not your father,” said the man. “He had no family but the one young girl in the house.”
“I am grateful to you for all that you have told me about the way I came here. If I live, I will do you a service.”
They were troubled. They knew not whence they had come. They went home. The King of Greece welcomed his two sons.