When Bolly Wherrit threw himself upon the guard at his prison lodge, he was without a single weapon.
Besides this his hands and wrists were considerably lacerated by the cruel glass that had been the means of his gaining freedom, but he had no doubt regarding his ability to overcome the fellow, especially as he had the advantage of a surprise.
Finding himself so suddenly seized by the throat, the guard turned like a flash and attempted to use his arm, thinking to get the hunter in a bear's clasp, and then hold him till assistance came.
He counted without his host, however, as many folks are in the habit of doing.
Raised in the school of nature, very nearly the whole of his life being spent upon the plains in active warfare with the savage denizens thereof, it was not likely that Bolly would in his declining years lose the prompt discretion and agility that had marked his whole checkered career.
Perhaps that Indian thought a thunderbolt had seized hold of him, that is, if he took time to think at all, which is rather questionable, and in truth he would not have been far from the truth.
The way in which Bolly shook him by means of the hold upon his throat would have reminded one of a terrier and a rat.
So violent was the motion that the unlucky fellow's head was in danger of coming off, and when Bolly in the end dashed his clenched fist full in the red face, it ended the matter, for when he released his clasp the man dropped to the ground perfectly insensible.
To stoop over the fallen brave and transfer the fellow's weapon to his own person, was, for the ranger, but the work of a moment.
Quite a fine-looking rifle, of a modern pattern, a long, ugly-looking knife, a revolver and some ammunition were thus appropriated without compunction, for Bolly believed in the adage that "to the victor belong the spoils." Besides, had not this man or his friends made themselves owners of his articles of warfare without saying so much as "by your leave."
There were very few men left in the village; for one to remain idle when such deadly work was in progress at two separate points would have been a decided disgrace.
A dozen cavalrymen dashing in at the northern and western end of the village could have carried everything before them.