Leaving John and the two women to
feed the signal fire, he secured one of the powerful breech-loading
rifles from the automobile, and quietly stole down the path.
Antoine, although he held a modern weapon in his hand, had shed
centuries of civilization. As still as death as he trod lightly in the
dark road, he was, nevertheless, consumed with the wild Berserk rage
against those who followed him. He knew that hussars would soon appear
on the slope, but he intended that a lion should be in their path and he
stroked lovingly the barrel of the powerful breech-loader. Behind him
the flames were shooting higher and higher, pouring red streaks against
the velvet blue of the sky. But all of Picard's attention was
concentrated now on what lay before him.
He heard soon the distant beat of hoofs and he drew a little to the side
of the road, down which he could see a long distance, as it stretched
straight before him, narrow and steep. He made out clearly a half dozen
figures, hussars struggling forward on tired horses, and he chuckled a
little to himself. It was a splendid weapon that he held in his hand,
and he was a great marksman. Armed as he was, he felt that he had
little to fear on that lone mountain road from six or seven horsemen.
He pushed the rifle forward a little and waited in the shadow of the
pines.
Pages:
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339