Max Pemberton

“ At this cry the lad raised himself backward by one surpassing effort, and then dropped with his weight again upon the Spaniard, driving the knife deep into his chesty so that the man gave one long groan and then lay still. But Fisher, fearing nothing now but the coming of the others, fled down the path with the shouts of the shoremen in his ears, and was at the hither side of the bridge while the Spaniards yet raved about the body of their man. ”

“ As he did so he looked to the height above him, and saw that he had come to the place where one of the Spaniards stood poising a great stone and waiting for his coming. The man was in the very act of hurling the boulder when Messenger fired at him, and the fellow, being hit in the hand, let the rock go crashing down with a reverberating note to the depths of the chasm. At the same moment a warning cry from Messenger awakened Fisher to the danger behind him, and he turned on his heel sharply, to find the man who had pursued him already within arm's-length. ”

“ A second loud report now echoed in the woods, and a great eagle-hawk that he could see stooping down from the infinitely blue sky stopped in his descent and winged away to the distant hills. This time two of the shots stung him upon the left arm, but he had no other hurt; and he fell upon his hands and knees, leaving the precious basket behind him, and wormed his way with wondrous quickness, though his flesh was cut and his clothes torn to ribbons by the briar through which he went. ”