The Taking of Helen by John Masefield — page 106: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

94 THE TAKING OF HELEN ‘‘And they must have my hunting spear,”’ The Sight- less said. ‘For I hear that they have no weapons, and the world is a rough place to those who cannot be rough to it. It was a good spear, in my day,” he said, bringing out the spear. “It may serve you, lord.” He gave it to Paris, for he had the blind man’s sense of the colours of the souls about him. “You will not refuse it, lord,’ he said. ‘‘Age is good for nothing but for this one thing, that it can furnish the setter-forth, if the setter-forth will permit.”’ “Sir,” Paris said, “we cannot thank you enough for all your kindnesses to us and all your gifts and help.” “One other thing I would like to beg, sir,” Nireus said. “And that is, that you would sing to us one of your poems before we go.”’ “T will sing to you, perhaps, on your way, sir,’ the blind man said, “for this is not the house for singing, nor is it the time. ‘The girl has the things. We will set out.” _ They made their farewells and started towards the rocks. Helen walked with Myrtle, The Sightless with Paris, and Nireus alone behind them. They went down a rocky track and turned out of it to the right by a path through a cornfield which Myrtle said was a short cut to the sea. They saw the sea, and then stopped dead in the corn, at the sound of horses and the jingle of armour. CoOim (-) ack sc