ssion of
indelible horror and rage, and in his hand he held the other sword.

With a madman's proverbial cunning he had pretended to be asleep; then
he must have followed me stealthily as I made my journey of
exploration; and now, doubtless, he ascribed all his wrongs and
sufferings to me and meant to kill me.

His fears had snapped the last frail link that bound him to the world
of sense.

He struck at me, a great sweeping blow which would almost have cut me
in two. I had just time to parry it, and then he was upon me, raining
blows upon my out-stretched sword. He was no swordsman, but slashed
and hewed in frenzy, and the steel rang on steel, and the rust from the
blades filled my nostrils with its sting.

But, though his attack was wild, the vigor of his blows almost beat
down my guard. At last a random blow of mine swept the weapon from his
feeble old hand and sent it whirling down the cataract into the lake
below.

Then he was at my throat, and it was fortunate that there was firm rock
instead of slippery ice beneath us, or we should both have followed the
sword.

He linked his arms around me and wrestled furiously, and his weight and
height so much surpassed my own that they compensated for his weakness.
We swayed backward and forward, and the star dipped and swung over us,
as though we stood upon the deck of a rolling ship.

"Calm yourself, for Heaven's sake, _monsieur_!" I gasped as I gained a
momentary advantage over him. "Don't you know me? I am your friend.
I want to save you!"

But he was at me again, trying to lock his hands about my throat; and,
even after I had controlled him and pinned his arms to his sides, he
fought like a fiend, and never ceased to yell. On either hand the
rocks and tunnel gave back his howls with hideous echoes that rolled
into the distance as though a hundred demons were at strife.

"You shall not take me! I have done nothing! It was years ago! Let
me go! Let me go!" he screamed.

I released him for a moment, hoping that his disordered brain would
calm enough for him to recognize me, and that, when he saw my motives
were peaceful, he would grow quiet.

But suddenly, with a final howl, he sprang past me, Sweeping me against
the wall, and leaped out on the ledge.

I held my breath. I expected to see him stagger to his death below.
But he stood motionless in the middle of the little platform and
stretched out his arms toward the raging torrent, as though in
i