The first man, who was without a weapon, came to a pause a dozen paces from me.
"Stand, or I fire," I said, levelling my weapon.
He looked uncertainly round for his companions. Two or three joined him, and, encouraged by this accession to the force, he said jeeringly:
"Put that down, or it will be the worse for you. We've had enough of you. And now we've got you in a mucky hole."
"That remains to be seen," said I calmly, for I noticed that they did not seem to be supplied with weapons. I could see others climbing up below, and among them Holgate. A little lull fell on the scene. It was as if fate hung undecided, not certain whether the scales should go down on this side or that. I stood facing the group of dismayed and angry ruffians, and without turning my head was aware of some one running behind me. I do not think I gave this a single thought, so preoccupied was I with the situation in front. The group was enlarged by arrivals and one of these, stumbling, uttered an oath.
"Shoot him!" he said, and himself lifted a pistol at me.
I raised mine also, and a second and a third were now levelled at me. The scales were against me, but even as this flashed across my mind, a report sounded behind me, and the drunken creature fell. I glanced about, and there was Legrand, with his steady hand and flaming eye. My heart thrilled. A shout of fury went up in front. "Shoot them--shoot them!" and the barrels directed at us seemed to be suddenly many.
Holgate had come to a pause on the outer edge of the group and was observing the scene with interest. He made no movement. Death touched us with the breath of his passage.
An arm was flung sharply about me. "If you die, I die too!" cried a voice--a voice, ah, so well remembered and so dear! Ah, Heaven! Was it Alix?
A pistol barked, and I swerved, almost losing my feet. If we must die, we should die hard. I fired, and one of the mutineers uttered an exclamation.
"Stay there," called Holgate. "Easy, men. Don't let's kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Let's have a few questions answered."
"Well, there'll be all the more for those that are left," said Holgate, easily, steering his way through the knot.
A faint laugh followed on this, but I think even the mutineers, brutal as they were, were aghast at this revolting cynicism.