CHAPTER ELEVEN.
A BLACK NIGHT.
Nic's cry was answered by a loud cheer from his men, which seemed toparalyse the enemy--some thirty strong, who stood staring, thetorch-bearers holding their smoky lights on high--giving the party fromthe Point plenty of opportunity for picking their men, as they followedtheir leader's example and leaped into the pool. This caused a rush ofthe fish towards the lights for the most part, though many made for thegap to follow the stream, shooting against the net, which was heldtightly in its place.
"There, go home, you set of ugly fools, before you're hurt," cried thedeformed man, with a snarl like that of a wild beast. "What! You willhave it? Come on, then. Hi, there! hold the links higher, and let ussee their thick heads. Give it to 'em hard."
Emboldened by old successes, two wings of the gang whipped out theirsticks and took a step or two forward, to stand firm on either side ofthe deformed man, who was a step in front. The next minute the fray hadcommenced, Nic leading off with a tremendous cut from his left at HumpyDee's head.
For the young man's blood was up; he was the captain of the littleparty, and he knew that everything depended upon him. If he fought wellthey would stand by him to a man, as they had shown before. If, on theother hand, he seemed timid and careful, they would show a dispositionto act on the defensive. That would not do now, as Nic well knew. Hisobject was to make a brave charge and stagger the enemy, so that theymight become the easier victims to panic when they found that they wereattacked by a strong party in the rear.
_Crack_! went Nic's stout stick, as he struck with all his might; and_crick_, _crick_, _crack_, _crash_! went a score or more, mingled withshouts of defiance.
But Nic's cudgel did not give forth its sharp sound from contact withthe leader's head, for he had to do with a clever cudgel-player as wellas one who had often proved his power as a tricky wrestler in contestswith the best men of the neighbouring farthest west county. Nic's blowwas cleverly caught on as stout a cudgel, and the next moment his leftarm fell numb to his side.
He struck savagely now, making up for want of skill by the rain of blowshe dealt at his adversary, and thus saved himself from being beaten downinto the water at once.
But it was all in vain.
On the other hand, though his men did better, being more equally matchedthey did not cause the panic Nic had hoped for, and the enemy kept theirground; while the torches spluttered, blazed, and smoked, and to thespectators the amphitheatre during those few brief moments looked wildand strange as some feverish dream.
But, as before said, Nic's brave efforts were all in vain. His muscleswere too soft and green, and he was, in addition to being young, noadept in the handling of a stick. He fought bravely, but he had not thestrength to keep it up against this short, iron-muscled, skilful foe.He was aware of it only too soon, for his guard was beaten down, and hesaw stars and flashes of light as he received a sharp blow from hisadversary's stick. Then he felt himself caught by the throat, and bythe light of one of the torches he saw the man's cudgel in the act offalling once more for a blow which he could only weakly parry, whenanother cudgel flashed by, there was a crack just over his head, andHumpy Dee uttered a yell of rage.
"You coward!" he roared. "Take that!" and quick as a flash Nic made outthat he struck at some one else, and attributed the side-blow in hisdefence to Solly, who was, he believed, close by.
At that moment a loud, imperious voice from somewhere in front and aboveshouted, so that the rocks echoed:
"Hold hard below there!"
Nic involuntarily lowered his cudgel and stood panting, giddy, and sick,listening.
"Yah! never mind him," roared Humpy. "You, Pete, I'll pay youafterwards."
"Now, boys, down with you."
"The poachers' companions," cried one of Nic's men, and they steppedforward to the attack again, when a pistol-shot rang out and wasmultiplied by the rocky sides of the arena, making the combatants pause,so that the voice from above was plainly heard:
"Below there, you scoundrels! Surrender in the king's name. You aresurrounded."
"Brag, my lads!" roared Humpy Dee. "Stand to it, boys, and haul thebeggars out."
There was a moment's pause, just enough for the next words to be heard:
"At 'em, lads! You've got 'em, every man."
A roaring cheer followed, and Nic saw the torches through the cloud thatseemed to be thickening around them. He could hear shouts, which grewlouder and fiercer. There was the rattle of cudgels, savage yellsseemed to be bellowed in his ears, and he felt himself thrust and struckand hauled here and there as a desperate fight went on for hispossession. Then, close at hand, there was a deafening cheer, atremendous shock, the rattle of blows, and he was down upon his knees.Lastly, in a faint, dreamy way, he was conscious of the rush of coldwater about his face, in his ears the thundering noise of totalimmersion, with the hot, strangling sense of drowning; and then all wasblank darkness, and he knew no more.
Nic Revel: A White Slave's Adventures in Alligator Land Page 11