"Come on, have a try," said Ivan, with a grin.
Nicolas gave a loud cry—the cry of a cornered beast. Then he sprang.
"I'll kill you!" he yelled in a voice of thunder.
CHAPTER XI.
A FIGHT.
All the others in the cavern were on their feet now, all save Nikol, who still lay unconscious where Nicolas had hurled him. Stubbs shrank back in the dark, but Hal, Chester and the two British officers quickly produced revolvers with which they covered Nicolas.
Ivan, out of the tail of his eye, caught sight of these movements. He let out a roar even as Nicolas sprang upon him.
"Put up those guns!" he shouted. "I'll attend to this fellow with my bare hands. Stand back!"
There was something in the voice of the big Cossack that impelled the others to obey; and they drew back, circling about to watch the struggle. Even Stubbs picked up courage enough to come forward; and hardly had the fight begun when Nikol, too, pulled himself up and cast his eyes upon the combatants.
Nicolas sprang upon Ivan with outstretched arms, his fingers spread wide. His object was to clasp one of his strong hands about Ivan's throat, thus obtaining an advantage at the outset. But Ivan had divined his intention at the moment he sprang, and ducking with remarkable agility for a man of his size, he came up inside the other's arms and grasped his opponent around the middle with both arms.