“Take back those words!”
“I refuse!”
Crack—it was repeated.
Again, after a pause, Skelding dragged himself up.
“Take back those words!”
“No, I will——”
Crack—a third time he went down.
The men who were watching did not dare interfere. Skelding dragged himself to his elbow, but did not try to rise.
“You can’t make me take them back!” he said thickly.