Part 35 (2/2)
said he, as he folded his ararded us with a smile of satisfaction
”Cease thine insolence, thou false and degraded knight, and draw thy sword and fightupon a gentleman a band of coward ruffians!”
”Nay, nay, Sir Walter, we have twice crossed swords ere this, and on both occasions thou didst have the better of me Verily, thou must be selfish to ever desire to play the victor's part Oh, no!” he added with a laugh, ”I now do hold the stronger hand, and it should be casting an insult upon the Goddess of Fortune to thus throw aside her bounteous gift of advantage
”Do thou close yon door and lock it, Peter,” said he, turning to a fellohich stood behind hi Irishman doth interrupt my speech And besides,”
he continued, with so enough for his beastlike strength This other here is stouter”
The felloith the disabled arm--no doubt 'twas he which did attempt to murder me in my tent--then closed and locked the door, whilst three of the soldiers reallant Michael, should he succeed in breaking down the door And indeed it now sounded as though the oak iant had ceased his oaths, and all his breath was now being used to support his great strength, that was being exerted on the creaking opposition
I alht of the fate of the three reat man should rush in upon thehten me as to thine object, in as feords as possible? for th, nor have aze upon thy recreant body
”Then hearye both into this place I do desire to have yon same lady, which in her fear is even more beautiful than when she smileth, delivered up into my hands Her safety and tender treatment thou mayest be well assured of; for I do love her to distraction
”As for thyself, if thou dost offer no resistance, then shalt thou be perh I do hate thee as I do a viper”
I bowed, and srimly, and he continued ”If thou dost resist; well, thou knowest that thou needst not to expect mercy”
”Is that all?”
”That is all”
”Then know, thou slave of degradation and all that is most abominable, that I, as would any man, reject thy base proposal, ords too poor and weak to express, in any good measure, my contempt for the proposer”
At this es with a crash; and then the adjoining roo of fearful blows
”Come then, make haste!” cried Catesby to his followers, ”yon Herculean savage hath burst through the inner door Next will he break down this; unless those knaves do stop him”
Then the whole pack of varlets rushed upon me from all points butme
”Ha! thou caitiff! ha! thou slave!” cried I, as I struck down the two foremost of the assassins
”What! do ye hesitate, and shrink frole sword? Strike him down, ye varlets, or at your peril stay a hand until we have him!” and the chiefest ofo'er the body of one of his fallen band, he did engage with uarding me from his fierce cuts and thrusts
In then there rushed the others; but so many were there that they did interfere with each other; thus enabling ood armoured left aronists, and thundered with hisdoor I knew that this would bemore heavy, as Catesby had said, it opened towards Michael, and this did add greatly unto its powers of resistance I dared not turnblow should fall
My left ar of the many blows that fell so hard and thick upon it
”Noe have him! Press him both close and hard!” cried Catesby, as he reneith all his activity, his lightning-like attack
Never in ht with such quickness or strength I was as a ht of intoxicated recklessness My sword seemed everywhere at once, and even the shi+fty Catesby was pressed back I stepped forward in the deliriuhter