“Will you let go?” the girl said, speaking as calmly as she could, but in a white passion. “Will you let go of that bridle, or shall I make you?”
He looked her full in the face. “Gad, but you’re a stunner!” he exclaimed. “I’m glad we met—here.”
She brought her whip with a biting cut around the wrist that held her bridle. Drazk winced, but did not let go.
“Jus’ for that, young Y.D.,” he hissed, “jus’ for that we drop all formalities, so to speak.”
With a dexterous spurring he brought his horse alongside and threw an arm about Zen before she could beat him off. She used her whip at short range on his face, but had not arm-room in which to land a blow. They were stirrup-deep in water, and as they struggled the horses edged in deeper still. Finding that she could not beat Drazk off Zen clutched her saddle and drove the spurs into her horse. At this unaccustomed treatment he plunged wildly forward, but Drazk’s grip on her was too strong to be broken. The manoeuvre had, however, the effect of unhorsing Drazk. He fell in the water, but kept his grip on Zen. With his free hand he still had the reins of his own horse, and he managed also to get hold of hers. Although her horse was plunging and jumping, Drazk’s strong grip on his rein kept him from breaking away.
“You fight well, Zen, damn you—you fight well,” he cried. “So you might. You played with me—you made a fool of me. We’ll see who’s the fool in the end.” With a mighty wrench he tore her from her saddle and she found herself struggling with him in the water.
“If I put you under for a minute I guess you’ll be good,” he threatened. “I’ll half drown you, Zen, if I have to.”
“Go ahead,” she challenged. “I’ll drown myself, if I have to.”
“Not just yet, Zen; not just yet. Afterwards you can do as you like.”
In their struggles they had been getting gradually into deeper water. At this moment they found their feet carried free, and the horses began to swim for the shore. Drazk held to both reins with one hand, still clutching his victim with the other. More than once they went under water together and came up half choking.