{Illustration: "SEIZING FARRAR, BEGAN TO HAUL HIM OUT OF THE COTTAGE." [p. 172.}
The other spun round, made a futile attempt to raise his pistol and subsided heavily across the body of his companion.
Intent upon their particular task, Schranz and the fourth man had not realised the turn of events before Entwistle, watching his opportunity, placed a bullet through the former's right arm. Without a great risk of hitting the sub, Entwistle could not fire at the remaining miscreant.
Farrar was now quite equal to the occasion. Finding, although unaccountably to him, that he was engaged against only one man he let drive with a powerful left-hander. His fist struck the Hun fairly and squarely on the chin, and the man dropped like a log.
"Rather warm while it lasted," remarked Entwistle nonchalantly. "'Fraid I've spoilt a good pair of trousers. Any damage?"
"Not to me," replied Farrar. "By Jove! I made a most unholy bungle."
"And so did I," admitted his companion. "So you've nothing to brag about. I was quite under the impression that there were only two of the fellows here, and it gave me a bit of a shock to find four. It's a handy trick, Farrar, to know how to use a pistol without removing it from your hip pocket."
"You might as well extinguish the embers," remarked Farrar.