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They could also hear Heriot calling to Rondeau to bring bottles and glasses, and vaguely they marvelled what Rondeau's attitude might be like at this moment. Was he brazening out the situation, or was he sick with terror? Suddenly Heriot's voice came out more distinctly. "Make yourselves at home, friends," he was saying; "here are cards, dominoes, and wine.
"What ears you have," murmured Ffoulkes as he obeyed rapidly and without question. "I heard nothing." Blakeney went to the door and bent his head to listen. "Three men coming up the stairs," he said; "they are on the landing now." "Have we time to rush them?" "No chance! They are at the door. Two more men have joined them, and I can distinguish Rondeau's voice, too."
While he's been away somebody taught him the hammer-lock and the crotch-hold and a few more fancy ones, and he got to work on Rondeau in a hurry. In fact, he had to, for if the tussle had gone over five minutes, Rondeau's youth would have decided the issue." "And Rondeau was whipped?" "To a whisper.
He raised his right hand, much as a bear raises its paw; his blunt fingers worked a little and there was a smoldering fire in his dark eyes. Without further protest Sexton opened the safe, counted out the wages due, and took Rondeau's receipt. "Thank you, M'sieur," the woods-boss growled as he swept the coin into his pocket.
His blows had not, apparently, had the slightest effect on the woods-boss. Crouched low and with his arms wrapped around his head, Rondeau still came on unfalteringly, and Bryce was forced to give way before him; to save his hands, he avoided the risk of battering Rondeau's hard head and sinewy arms.
Jerking the fellow toward him, he passed his arm around Rondeau's neck, holding the latter's head as in a vise with the crook of his elbow. And then the battering started. When it was finished, Bryce let his man go, and Rondeau, bloody, sobbing, and semi-conscious, sprawled on the ground. Bryce bent over him. "Now, damn you," he roared, "who felled that tree in Cardigan's Redwoods?"
Bryce stepped in, feinted for Rondeau's jaw with his right, and when the woods-boss quickly covered, ripped a sizzling left into the latter's midriff. Rondeau grunted and dropped his guard, with the result that Bryce's great fists played a devil's tattoo on his countenance before he could crouch and cover. "This is a tough one," thought Bryce.
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