o lithe and noiseless in animal
life. And Deulin was like a panther at that moment. He leaped across
the pavement to give one man a stinging switch across the cheek with
the flat of the blade, and was back on guard in front of Cartoner like
a flash. He ran right round the two men, who stood bewildered together,
and did not know where to look for him. Once he lifted his foot and
planted a kick in the small of his adversary's back, sending him
staggering against the wall. He laughed, and gave little, sharp cries
of "Ah!" and "La!" breathlessly. He did a hundred tricks of the
fencing-floor--performed a dozen turns and sleights of hand. It was a
marvel of agility and quickness. He struck both men on shoulder, arm,
hand, head, and leg; forward, back-handed, from above and below. He
never awaited their attack--but attacked them. Was it not Napoleon who
said that the surest way to defend is to attack?

The wonder was that, wielding so keen a point, he never hurt the men.
The sword might have been a lady's riding-whip, for its bloodlessness,
from the stinging cuts he inflicted. But the whistle of it through the
air was not the whistle of leather. It was the high, clear, terrifying
note of steel.

The two men, in confusion, backed across the road, and finally ran to
the opposite pavement, where they were half hidden by a deep shadow.
Without turning, Deulin backed towards Cartoner, who stood still in the
doorway.

"Even if they are armed," said Deulin, "they won't fire. They don't want
the police any more than we do. Can tell you, Cartoner, it would not
suit my book at all to get into trouble in Warsaw now."

While he spoke he watched the shadows across the road.

"Both have knives," he said, "but they cannot get near me. Stay where
you are."

"All right," said Cartoner. "Haven't had a chance yet."

And he gave a low laugh, which Deulin had only heard once or twice
before in all the years that they had known each other.

"That's the best," he said, half to himself, "of dealing with a man who
keeps his head. Here they come, Cartoner--here they come."

And he went out to meet them.

But only one came forward. They knew that unless they kept together,
Deulin could not hold them both in check. The very fact of their
returning to the attack--thus, with a cold-blooded courage--showed that
they were Poles. In an instant Deulin divined their intention. He ran
forward, his blade held out in front of him. Even at this moment h