So now, his sinewy arm caught the Malay by 185 the leg, while his body swung round to the right. Down went the Malay with a crash, his blood-stained knives clattering on the ground and the next instant Joe was on his back.
His hands closed upon the man’s throat with an iron grip.
But there was no more fight left in the would-be murderer. The fall had jarred and partially stunned him. In an instant Jim had joined Joe, other men came rushing up; and the danger was over.
The crazed man was secured with ropes and carried away, while Joe, perspiring, panting and covered with dust, received the enthusiastic congratulations of the rapidly gathering crowd.
“Pluckiest thing I ever saw in my life!” exclaimed the colonel of the army command, who had witnessed the exploit.
“That fall-away slide of yours was great, Joe!” cried Larry Barrett, who had come up. “I never saw a niftier one on the ballfield.”
“You made the bag all right!” grinned Denton.
“He never touched you!” chuckled Burkett.
“If he had it would have been some touch,” declared McRae, as he picked up one murderous-looking knife and passed it round for inspection.
It was a wicked weapon, nearly a foot in length, with a handle so contrived as to get all 186 the weight behind the stroke and a wavy blade capable of inflicting a fearful wound.