Ty laughed as mean as a man ever did laugh; and both Olaf and I offered to take the Friar’s place; but Ty said he didn’t have anything special again’ us any more ’n he’d have again’ the Friar’s ridin’ hoss; and then he offered to fight the Friar and Dinky Bradford at the same time.
He kept on roastin’ the Friar till I bet I was blushin’; but the Friar just stood out straight in the gloom o’ the tunnel and shook his head no. Then the woman took a half step forward, an’ the Chink jerked her back, twistin’ her wrist and makin’ her give a smothered scream.
I had moved the box around to give us a little more light; and when she screamed, I saw the blood rush up the Friar’s pale face to his eyes, where it burst into flame. Livin’ fire it was, and in a flash it had burned away his religion, his scruples again’ violence, the whole outer shell o’ civilization, and left him just a male human with his woman in the power of another. “Strip,” he said, and his words rolled down the tunnel like a growl of a grizzly. “Strip, and fight for your life, for I intend to destroy you.”
I can still hear the laugh Ty gave when the Friar said this. “Destroy me?” he said. “Destroy me? That’s a good one! Now, do your men agree to let us go free if I win?”
“I do,” sez The.
“I do,” said I, after I’d taken another look at the Friar, who was already unbuttonin’ his shirt.
“I do—if you fight fair,” said Olaf slowly.
“Then one of ya hold the lantern while we empty the guns,” said Ty.
I didn’t like this part of it; but couldn’t see any way out; so while The held the lantern, one on each side emptied a gun and tossed it to the center of the tunnel. We emptied all of ours, and they emptied all of theirs, and then while Ty was takin’ off his shirt, I went up to the Friar. When I saw the taut muscles ripplin’ beneath his white skin, I felt comforted; but when I saw him holdin’ his knife point down, the way they do in the picture-books, I got worried again.
“Take your knife the other way, Friar,” I whispered; “and strike up under the floatin’ ribs on his left side. That’s the way to his heart.”