“Get him, Edmund! Knock him off!” the crowd yelled.
The boy swung at Edmund"s legs with his wool-tipped branch. Edmund parried the blow and swung downward at the boy"s head. At the last instant, the boy jerked his head sideways. The blow nicked his right ear. The yells from the shore suddenly increased in pitch, then died down as the boy carefully stepped backward, out of Edmund"s range. Sensing victory, Edmund inched forward and feinted low at the boy"s left knee, then came around with his branch and caught the boy"s right shoulder before he could evade. Startled, the boy lost his footing on the slick log and plummeted headfirst into the icy water below. The fight was over before it started.
There was silence as the group searched for another challenger among themselves, but no one dare
