"Down!" said Dick, close behind her; and with a well simulated shriek of pain, the girl fell in a heap.
"Oh, my foot!" she cried.
Dick's chief fear was that shooting should begin too soon.
But he heard Melchard's high voice shouting angrily to Mut-mut in his own tongue.
"Jagun pakai snapong. Brenkali akau mow pukul sama prempuan."
And Dick smiled, turning his head in time to see Mut-mut tuck away his revolver.
He leaned over Amaryllis, with pretence of trying to pull her to her feet.
"All right. It works. He's telling Crop-ear not to shoot, 'fear of hitting you."
Amaryllis pushed his hands away, clutched her ankle and moaned aloud.
Dick turned from her and, at a better pace than before, hobbled across the road, pursued by entreaties from Amaryllis so agonized and lifelike as almost to deceive the very author of the scheme.