He grabbed swiftly at Essenden's ankle, and Essenden kicked backwards. His heel struck the Saint between the eyes, half stunning him…
Jill felt herself hurled backwards. She caught Essenden's right wrist, and he stumbled and tripped. They fell together into the shallow stream. Then, with the strength of madness, he pinioned her arms and heaved her up against the rock face. He groped around with one hand, holding her there with his other hand and the weight of his body. A chain was brought across her body; then she heard it grate metallically through a socket. There was a click, and he stepped back, panting. "That's got you!"
She kicked savagely at him; but he dropped on one knee and gathered in her legs. A second chain snapped about her knees, holding her helpless. And Simon Templar, with the whole world still reeling about him from that savage kick between the eyes, was straining at the relentless grip on his ankle with the strength of a prisoned giant.
"Got you!" babbled Essenden. "Got you both! But I dropped my gun—"
He splashed about in the stream on all fours, muttering to himself, searching. Then presently he stood up, empty-handed.
"It doesn't matter. I don't need a gun now."
"You do!" rapped the Saint. "I've got another somewhere—"
He was straining at something that seemed to have caught in his hip pocket.
Essenden screamed, and leapt on him. And the Saint laughed. This time he did not miss his hold. As Essenden fell on him, Simon fastened two sinewy hands upon the peer's throat.
On the floor, the two men rolled and fought together like wild beasts. Simon Templar had the strength and speed of a tiger, but insanity had suddenly made Essenden superhuman. Pinned to the floor by the steel trap as effectively as if he had been anchored to a mountain, the only chance that the Saint had lay in keeping his hold on Essenden's windpipe, and on that effort alone he concentrated, while Essenden kicked and writhed and tore at face and fingers with claw-like hands. They rolled over and over, gasping. Simon knew it could not last.