Mackenzie looked at him coldly, measuring his great strength, weighing his magnificent body down to the last unit of its power. Carlson’s shirt was open at his throat, his laced boots came to his knees over his baggy corduroy trousers, his long red hair hung over his temples and ears.
“No, there’s been fighting enough,” Mackenzie said, thinking that Joan must be bound and gagged if in that room. Surely she would have spoken otherwise at the sound of his voice.
Hertha Carlson rose to her hands and knees, where she remained a spell like a creeping child, almost at Mackenzie’s feet. Reid lay where he had sunk down, pitched forward in front of the closed door.
“I’ll open it, then,” said Swan in the same glowing eagerness. “It’ll be a game––whatever I find I’ll keep!”
“Don’t touch it!” Mackenzie warned, drawing a little nearer, his weapon half out of the scabbard.
Mrs. Carlson rose between them, tall, disheveled, dress torn open at her bosom. She seemed dazed and oblivious to what was passing, stood a moment, hands pressed to her face as one racked by an agony of pain, went to the door, and out. Carlson stood staring after her a breath, his bold chin lifted high, a look of surprise passing like a light over his eyes.
“What I find will be mine,” Carlson said, almost happily. “Come on––we’ll fight like a couple of men!”
Carlson thrust his hand into the bosom of his shirt as he spoke, and drew out a revolver with a long sweep of his mighty arm, throwing his body with the movement as if he rocked with a wild, mad joy. Mackenzie fired as Carlson lifted the weapon to throw it down for a shot. Carlson’s pistol fell from his shattered hand.
Swan stood a moment, that flickering light of surprise flashing in his eyes again. Then he threw back his head and shouted in the mad joy of his wild heart, his great mouth stretched wide, his great mustaches moving in his breath. Shouting still, as his Viking forebears shouted in the joy of battle, the roar of his great voice going far into the night, Swan rushed upon Mackenzie like a wounded bear.