Rachmanof made a quick lunge at me with his sword, but the blow fell short, and I laughed aloud at him.
‘You will have to come to closer quarters, Rachmanof; there is no help for it,’ I said. ‘It is dangerous, I admit, and mighty unpleasant, but it must be done!’
With a curse he ran three steps upwards and lunged again. This time it was necessary to parry, and I replied with a counter thrust which he just, but only just, contrived to turn aside.
Then the two others came nearer, in response to Rachmanof’s orders. ‘Seize your opportunity to rush in,’ he said, ‘as soon as you perceive an opening.’
There was a slight pause while Rachmanof and his men took breath, watching me, and thinking how best to overpower me by combination. Luckily, the stairs were too narrow to admit of two men fighting abreast, else I suppose I should have been overpowered, for they were good men, all three.
During the pause I could distinctly hear the good Superior praying fervently in the ante-room, of which the door was open.
Then suddenly Rachmanof rushed upon me, and after him another, whose rush was useless, however, for he found himself obliged to wait at Rachmanof’s heels, and when he tried to lunge at me his sword nearly pierced his friend’s shoulder.
I had the best of it as to position, and of this I was determined to take full advantage. His rush was easily stopped, and when I assumed the attack it was not difficult to drive him downwards, since I smote at him from above. Step by step he descended, and his supporter was obliged to descend also, for Rachmanof would otherwise have trodden upon him.
Nevertheless, he fought well for his ground, and did not cease striking and thrusting at me, defending himself at the same time with great skill.
Then I tried a trick upon my man. I pretended to stagger backwards, in order to draw him forward with a long thrust. This succeeded. He thrust so vigorously that he was half overbalanced, and I brought my sword down cleaverwise upon his skull.