'Surrender,' he cries,
'or I shoot you dead, and the 50 is mine,' and never giving time for
answer, fires. Elzevir stood on the other side of the well-mouth, and it
seemed the other could not miss him at such a distance; but as I blinked
my eyes at the flash, I felt the bullet strike the iron chain to which I
was holding, and saw that Elzevir was safe.
The turnkey saw it too, and flinging away his pistol, sprang round the
well and was at Elzevir's throat before he knew whether he was hit or
not. I have said that the turnkey was a tall, strong man, and twenty
years the younger of the two; so doubtless when he made for Elzevir, he
thought he would easily have him broken down and handcuffed, and then
turn to me. But he reckoned without his host, for though Elzevir was the
shorter and older man, he was wonderfully strong, and seasoned as a
salted thong. Then they hugged one another and began a terrible struggle:
for Elzevir knew that he was wrestling for life, and I daresay the
turnkey guessed that the stakes were much the same for him too.
As soon as I saw what they were at, and that the bucket was safe fixed,
I laid hold of the well-chain, and climbing up by it swung myself on to
the top of the parapet, being eager to help Elzevir, and get the turnkey
gagged and bound while we made our escape.
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