The fact that he was now, whether he liked it or not, perched on the
top of the wall like Humpty Dumpty, and that the burglar might see him
and shoot him the next minute, had also an immediate influence on his
movements. So he balanced himself cautiously and noiselessly and
dropped upon the man's head and shoulders, bringing him down to the
flagged walk with him and under him. The revolver went off once in the
struggle, but before the burglar could know how or from where his
assailant had come, Van Bibber was standing up over him and had driven
his heel down on his hand and kicked the pistol out of his fingers.
Then he stepped quickly to where it lay and picked it up and said,
"Now, if you try to get up I'll shoot at you." He felt an unwarranted
and ill-timedly humorous inclination to add, "and I'll probably miss
you," but subdued it. The burglar, much to Van Bibber's astonishment,
did not attempt to rise, but sat up with his hands locked across his
knees and said: "Shoot ahead. I'd a damned sight rather you would."
His teeth were set and his face desperate and bitter, and hopeless to
a degree of utter hopelessness that Van Bibber had never imagined.
"Go ahead," reiterated the man, doggedly, "I won't move.
Pages:
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198