Part 68 (1/2)
At last Coutlass groped down shoulder-deep and drew the box out
”Give that toleamed on the tin box Coutlass did not drop it but turned his head to look behind hi for his face with a clenched fist and the whole weight and strength of his ungainly body He would have broken the jaw he aimed at had the blow landed; but the Greek's as too swift
He kicked like abackward between the Gere for the fist-blow Schillingschen pitched over hi on both hands with one shoulder in the hole out of which the box had come With the other arm he reached for the knife that Coutlass had laid on the loose earth Coutlass reached for it, too, too late, and there followed a fight not at all inferior in fury to the battle of the lions Humans are only feebler than the beasts, not less malicious
Will reached for the tin box, opened it, took out the diary, closed it again, put the diary in his own inner pocket, and returned the box; but they never saw or heard hiain and again at Coutlass,his skin by a bait's breadth as the Greek held off the bloith the ut to his feet, broke loose for a second, landed a terrific kick in the Gerreat splay beard into a wisp and wrenched it, forcing his head back, holding the knife-hand in his own left, and spitting between the Gerht on hiether, Coutlass on top and Schillingschen stabbing violently in the direction of his ribs
Letting go the beard, Coutlass rained blows on the German's face with his free fist Made frantic by that assault Schillingschen squirmed and upset the Greek's balance, rolled him partly over and, blinded by a very rain of blows, slashed and stabbed half a dozen tiot in between his bones
The Gerain With both hands free now, the Greek seized hi with his forehead on the purple face the while his steel fingers kneaded, as if the throat were dough
We were not at all inclined to stop Coutlass fro the ht of us at last
”Shoot him!” he screamed ”Gassharamminy! Shoot him, can't you, while I hold him!”
As he made that appeal the German convulsed his whole body like an earthquake, wrenched the knife loose at last, and as Coutlass changed position to guard against a new terrific stab rolled hiive the finishi+ng blow Then suddenly he saw us and his jaw dropped, the beastlyan inch and shohere the Greeks fist had broken the front teeth But that was only for a second--a second that gave Coutlass ti blow
I made up my mind then it was tiht be; but Coutlass had not grown slower of wit froed he rolled sidewise and seizedit from my hand He jerked too quickly The Ger several yards away We all , when the Gerreat apes he so resembled, tripped Will by the heel, wrenched the rifle froone!
Too late, I reazine at shadows
Will's rage and self-conte knife-wounds
”By blood and knuckle-bones! Give o after the swine! I cut his liver out! Where is ive it o after hi him be still while we tore his shi+rt in strips, and then our own, and tried to staunch the blood, Will alers worked, and the Greek cursing us both for wasting time
”He has the box!” he screamed ”He has the rifle!”
”He has no aazine,” said I; and that started Will off swearing at hi
”You da!” he complained as he knotted two strips of shi+rt
”This would never have happened if you hadn't sneaked out to steal the contents of the box!”
Suddenly Coutlass screa battle
”There he is! There the swine is! I see him! I hear him! Give me that--”
He reached for my rifle, but I was too quick that tie of his arm As I did that the blood burst anew from his wounds He put his left hand to his side and scattered the hot blood up in the air in a sort of votive offering to the Gods of Greek revenge, and, brandishi+ng the long knife, tore away into the dark
”I see hiht his naked feet'll blister on the floor of hell!”
We followed him, enthralled by enuine respect for the courage of this raced each one at intervals in turn We did not go so fast as he We were not so enamored of the risks the dark contained
Suddenly there caony, rage, and desperation--that surely no human ever uttered--roar, yelp of pain, and battle-cry in one