Billy Fish saunters round and gets as close to Daniel as he
could, and behind him stood his twenty men with matchlocks--not a man of them
under six feet. I was next to Dravot, and behind me was twenty men of the
regular Army. Up comes the girl, and a strapping wench she was, covered with
silver and turquoises, but white as death, and looking back every minute at
the priests.
"'She'll do,' said Dan, looking her over. 'What's to be afraid of, lass? Come
and kiss me.' He puts his arm round her. She shuts her eyes, gives a bit of a
squeak, and down goes her face in the side of Dan's flaming-red beard.
"'The slut's bitten me!' says he, clapping his hand to his neck, and, sure
enough, his hand was red with blood. Billy Fish and two of his matchlock men
catches hold of Dan by the shoulders and drags him into the Bashkai lot, while
the priests howls in their lingo, 'Neither God nor Devil, but a man!' I was
all taken aback, for a priest cut at me in front, and the Army behind began
firing into the Bashkai men.
"'God A'mighty!' says Dan, 'what is the meaning o' this?'
"'Come back! Come away!' says Billy Fish. 'Ruin and Mutiny is the matter.
We'll break for Bashkai if we can.'
"I tried to give some sort of orders to my men,--the men o' the regular Army,-
-but it was no use, so I fired into the brown of 'em with an English Martini
and drilled three beggars in a line.
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