Rupert, who had never for a moment
taken his eye off him, followed at full speed, shouting to Hugh to
bring torches and follow.
Short as was the start that was gained, it nearly sufficed for the
desperate man's escape; as Rupert gained the terrace, he was
already nearly at the top of the ladder against the roof. Rupert
seized the ladder, and jerked it sideways. Sir Richard made a grasp
at the crest of the roof, and then rolled down on to the terrace.
Rupert rushed forward, but the torches had not yet come, and his
enemy was on his feet and upon him, with the advantage which the
light coming up the stairs afforded him, and striking down his
guard, rushed in and grappled with him. Rupert dropped his sword,
which was useless now, and struggled for his life. He felt what his
enemy's object was, to throw both over the end of the terrace. He
was strong and athletic, but he was far from being a match for his
older opponent, to whom rage, despair, and hatred lent a prodigious
strength.
"Hugh," he shouted, "Quick! Quick!"
Joe Sedley was the first to leap to the terrace with a torch, and
stood for a moment aghast as he saw the deadly struggle going on,
close to the slight wooden railing which ran along the edge of the
terrace; then he sprang forward, and just as the struggling foes
crashed through the woodwork, and were in the very act of falling
over the low stone parapet, he dashed the torch in Sir Richard's
face, while at the same moment he grasped Rupert's shoulder with a
grip of iron, and dragged him back; as his foe loosed his grasp
when the torch struck him in the face, and dropped in the darkness.
Pages:
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233