“Three thousand gulden,” he murmured under his breath. “Three thousand gulden for myself.”
“And you shall have the horse we have and come with us as guide to where we wish to go. You know the country?”
“Every yard of it. Three thousand gulden!” He murmured it almost caressingly, like a man dazed at the prospect of such riches. “I’ll do it,” he exclaimed, and threw up his hand. “You’ll swear on the cross to pay me?”
He made a couple of steps toward me as he spoke, and I stepped back, not wishing him to come too close.
“Now,” he cried, and sent up a great shout.
There was a guttural sound behind me, and the next instant I felt the burning sting of steel in my flesh as the wounded man thrust a knife into my leg with a force and suddenness that made me stagger; a clutch on my coat followed, which upset my balance and drew me back all a-sprawl across him.
Only by the narrowest chance did I escape death then—the chance that in falling I so hampered the man that he could not deliver the second thrust for which he had already lifted his knife. He struck at me, but missed his aim. The blade pierced my coat only, and, mercifully, I was unhurt. I was out of his reach before he could strike again, and with a heavy kick I put his arm out of action and sent the knife flying across the tent while I shouted for Karasch.
It was all the work of an instant, and I was barely on my legs before the leader rushed at me. My fingers were still closed on my revolver and I fired, but in the confusion missed him, and we grappled one another in grim earnest.
He was a more powerful man than I, and although I strove with all my strength and used every trick of the wrestling ring that I knew, I could not shake him off. He knew I was losing blood from the wound in my leg; and he clung to me, pinning my arms to my side, and waiting for my strength to give out, as assuredly it must.
For some minute or two matters were thus; his arms wrapped round me with the force of iron clamps, fixing mine to my sides; his muscular body pressed, straining against mine, and our faces so close that I could feel his breath on me as it came through his dilated nostrils.