“What can I do?” thought Chick.
It was not in a despairing tone that Chick asked himself this question. He put it to himself seriously, and with the object of finding an answer.
Of course, he had not the time to go into it in detail. This was only his general idea.
Fortunately, Chick was in the habit, in an emergency, of taking action instinctively, and generally such action turned out to be wise and effective.
So now, as he saw the white stranger coming toward him at frantic speed and utterly beyond self-control, Chick curled himself up in the path, planted his two feet firmly against some slight equalities of rock near him, and prepared for a tremendous concussion.
He got it. Hardly had he taken the position in which he hoped to be able to stop the helpless man, when the latter plunged down the last few feet.
“Throw yourself flat!” yelled Chick. “Come at me headfirst! Come on! I can hold you! Right down!”
Before Chick had finished shouting his instructions, the man had obeyed the first one.
He let himself go like a ball player sliding to first base. Flat on his stomach he hurled himself, and into the diaphragm of Chick went his head.
The shock was tremendous. Chick had braced himself to receive the charge, so that not all the breath was knocked out of him.