She did not fall and his weapon flew up for a second shot! but by some sheer luck I knocked the pistol spinning yards away into the river. While it spun I saw other things: Rebecca clasping a wounded arm; Luke and the dog reappearing apart, the dog about to repeat his onset; and Hardy dumb with rage.
"Call the puppy!" I cried, "you'll save him yet."
The master winded his horn, and the dog swam our way. At the same time his fellows came about us, while on the farther bank Luke helped his wife writhe up through the waterside vines, and with her disappeared. Only Euonymus remained in the water, at the far edge of the gravel-bar.
I was so happy that I laughed. "All right," I cried, "I'll pay for the revolver."
Foul epithets were Hardy's reply while he spurred madly to and fro in search of an opening in the vines to let his horse down into the stream. I rode with him, knee to knee. "You'll pay for this with your life !" he yelled down my throat. "I'll kill you, so help me God! Charmer! Dandy! go, take the nigger!"
The whole baying pack darted off for Euonymus's crossing. "Take the nigger, Charmer! Ah! take him, my lady!" We saw that Euonymus could not swim. Still knee to knee with Hardy, I drew and fired. "Puppy's" mate yelped and rolled over, dead.
"Call them back," I said, holding my weapon high; but Hardy only shrieked curses and cried:
"Take the nigger, Charmer, take him!"
I fired again. Poor Dandy! He sprang aside howling piteously, with melting eyes on his master.
"Oh, God!" cried Hardy, leaping down beside the wailing dog, that pushed its head into his bosom like a sick child. "Oh, God, but you shall die for this!"