Part 36 (2/2)

The Terror leapt to the attack; but David overturned the table as he ran, the blunderbuss cras.h.i.+ng to the floor; it fell, opposing a momentary barrier in the dog's path.

”Stan' off, ye--!” screeched the little man, seizing a chair in both hands; ”stan' off, or I'll brain ye!”

But David was on him.

”Wullie, Wullie, to me!”

Again the Terror came with a roar like the sea. But David, with a mighty kick catching him full on the jaw, repelled the attack.

Then he gripped his father round the waist and lifted him from the ground. The little man, struggling in those iron arms, screamed, cursed, and battered at the face above him, kicking and biting in his frenzy.

”The Killer! wad ye ken wha's the Killer? Go and ask 'em at Kenmuir! Ask yer ----”

David swayed slightly, crus.h.i.+ng the body in his arms till it seemed every rib must break; then hurled it from him with all the might of pa.s.sion. The little man fell with a crash and a groan.

The blaze in the corner flared, flickered, and died. There was h.e.l.l-black darkness, and silence of the dead.

David stood against the wall, panting, every nerve tightstrung as the hawser of a straining s.h.i.+p.

In the corner lay the body of his father, limp and still; and in the room one other living thing was moving.

He clung close to the wall, pressing it with wet hands. The horror of it all, the darkness, the man in the corner, that moving something, petrified him.

”Feyther!” he whispered.

There was no reply. A chair creaked at an invisible touch. Something was creeping, stealing, crawling closer.

David was afraid.

”Feyther!” he whispered in hoa.r.s.e agony, ”are yo' hurt?”

The words were stifled in his throat. A chair overturned with a crash; a great body struck him on the chest; a hot, pestilent breath volleyed in his face, and wolfish teeth were reaching for his throat.

”Come on, Killer!” he screamed.

The horror of suspense was past. It had come, and with it he was himself again.

Back, back, back, along the wall he was borne. His hands entwined themselves around a hairy throat; he forced the great head with its horrid lightsome eyes from him; he braced himself for the effort, lifted the huge body at his breast, and heaved it from him. It struck the wall and fell with a soft thud.

As he recoiled a hand clutched his ankle and sought to trip him. David kicked back and down with all his strength. There was one awful groan, and he staggered against the door and out.

There he paused, leaning against the wall to' breathe.

He struck a match and lifted his foot to see where the hand had clutched him.

G.o.d! there was blood on his heel.

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