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They saw the wanderers. With a shout<br />
straight on them swung their hurrying rout<br />
as if neath maddened hooves to rend<br />
the lovers and their love to end.<br />
But as they came their horses swerved<br />
with nostrils wide and proud necks curved;<br />
Curufin, stooping, to saddlebow<br />
with mighty arm did Lúthien throw,<br />
and laughed. Too soon; for there a spring<br />
fiercer than tawny lion-king<br />
maddened with arrows barbéd smart,<br />
greater than any hornéd hart<br />
that hounded to a gulf leaps o’er,<br />
there Beren gave, and with a roar<br />
leaped on Curufin; round his neck<br />
his arms entwined, and all to wreck<br />
both horse and rider fell to ground;<br />
and there they fought without a sound.<br />
Dazed in the grass did Lúthien lie<br />
beneath bare branches and the sky;<br />
the Gnome felt Beren’s fingers grim<br />
close on his throat and strangle him,<br />
and out his eyes did start, and tongue<br />
gasping from his mouth there hung.<br />
Up rode Celegorm with his spear,<br />
and bitter death was Beren near.<br />
With elvish steel he nigh was slain<br />
whom Lúthien won from hopeless chain,<br />
but baying Huan sudden sprang<br />
before his master’s face with fang<br />
white-gleaming, and with bristling hair,<br />
as if he on boar or wolf did stare.<br />
The horse in terror leaped aside,<br />
and Celegorm in anger cried:<br />
‘Curse thee, thou baseborn dog, to dare<br />
against thy master teeth to bare!’<br />
But dog nor horse nor rider bold<br />
would venture near the anger cold<br />
of mighty Huan fierce at bay.<br />
Red were his jaws. They shrank away,<br />
and fearful eyed him from afar:<br />
nor sword nor knife, nor scimitar,<br />
no dart of bow, nor cast of spear,<br />
master nor man did Huan fear.<br />
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