As he stood looking at the pistol lying on the floor of the passage, a
rage grew in Anthony's breast; he returned to his room and drew on his
clothes; into the passage he went once more, took up the pistol, and
looked to its loading and priming at the window. Then, lowering the
hammer and holding to the barrel, he thumped upon the door nearest him
with the butt.
"Landlord! Everybody! Turn out! My life has been put in danger in this
damned house! Landlord!"
From door to door, down the passage, he went; the pistol butt fell
noisily upon each, and at each he swore bitter oaths.
"Landlord! Out with you! By God, there's not a man in all this place
but must answer to me!"
There were hurried sounds behind the closed doors; a servant of the inn
came toiling up the stairs.
"Sir," said he. "You'll have the house aroused. What is the matter?"
"Get me the landlord," directed Anthony. "Tell him not to delay. I have
a sharp word or two for that good man."
"The landlord is still abed," said the servant.
Anthony took him by the scruff of the neck and held his face against
the glass of the window.
"Who do you see in the yard?" demanded he.
It was the landlord himself, and hastily leading out a team of
swift-looking horses, attached to a sleigh. At the same time a man was
seen to cross the yard from the direction of the tavern door; it was
the man with the patch over one eye, and he took the reins and stepped
into the sleigh. Anthony tore at the window to open it, but it was
fast; with the pistol butt he smashed the glass, and while it was still
crashing and jingling he shouted.
"Stop! I'd like a moment with you, sir!"
The man in the sleigh gave one upward look, then wheeled his horses to
face the road. Anthony leveled the pistol and fired; the heavy ball
smashed through the back of the sleigh; there were cries from all parts
of the inn; then, seizing the remainder of his belongings, Anthony ran
down the stairs.
At the outer door he met the landlord, thick-set, swift, with bright
dangerous eyes; and the man held out a hand to stop him.
"Monsieur takes many liberties," said the landlord. "He smashes my
windows, and fires at my guests."
Anthony saw the hostler with whom he had spoken the night before
standing at the door of the barn.
"My horses," said he, "and let me have them quickly."
"First," said the landlord, and the hand was still held out, "we shall
speak a few words."
"So we shall," said Anthony, as he looked at him from under frowning
brows. "And they shall be very few." He struck aside the man's hand and
gripped him by the shoulder. "What manner of place do you keep here,
where your crony tries to murder a traveler in his bed, and you lend
your ready help to have him escape?"
The Frenchman, with a heave of his powerful body, pulled himself free;
there was a savage glint in his eye and a purposeful set to his jaws.
He leaped at Anthony like an ape, and at once had him cleverly about
the body.
"Now, my loud-crowing young gentleman, I'll show you something," said
he.
There were some of the tavern's people who had gathered by this;
heads were seen at windows, and each face wore a grin of derision for
Anthony. Softly, creepingly, the cunning grip shifted and improved
itself. From the ease of the things doing, the young man knew he was in
the hands of a master of wrestling; he saw the bulging of the big thews
under the Frenchman's clothes, and the swelling of his thick neck.
"In another two minutes," said a voice, "he'll not have enough breath
in his body to whisper with. And a little space ago he was talking loud
enough."
Anthony thought he knew this voice; he cocked an eye over the shoulder
of the straining Frenchman in its direction and saw the big young man
of the New York packet.
"Hah!" said Anthony, "it was half in my mind that you'd be here, my
friend." The hostler, whom he had ordered to make ready his sleigh,
stood in the barn-door, the harness in his hands, his mouth open.
"Don't waste my time, good friend," Anthony called to him. "Get the
horses to the sleigh; for after I've finished here I'll want to take to
the road in the wake of the person who just left."
The Frenchman was proceeding in a methodical, workman-like manner; his
thick arms were contracting steadily about Anthony's body; under their
pressure the young man felt his ribs bending, his vitals crushed, and
his breath grow short. And all the time the Frenchman growled like a
surly dog.
"We shall see in a moment," he wheezed. "We shall see how you'll talk
when I've done with you, my high-stepper!"
But Anthony had a plan in his mind, and his thoughts were now on it
alone. He threw his weight forward, and the Frenchman gave back; the
tavern yard was thick with snow, frozen over in a rough crust; at one
place where much water had been thrown there was a smooth ice, and it
was upon this that the young man forced the wrestler. To put forward
the effort needed in his bone-crushing the man needed good footing;
and here he had none. Once upon the glassy spot he began to slip, and
his grip grew slack. Anthony's right knee instantly came up, short,
sharp, vicious; once, twice, thrice it struck the Frenchman in the
stomach, and he went a deathly green. Anthony tore himself from the
weakened grip, and lashed out with his fist; it struck the wrestler on
the side of the head, and he fell and lay without motion.
"My sleigh in two minutes," said Anthony as he glanced toward the barn;
then he stepped to where the onlookers were grouped, and his lowering
eyes marked each one. They were mostly young, or in the prime of life,
sailormen, or having the look of mercantile pursuits, hardy of body,
keen of eye, and of ready manner.
"My life," said Anthony, "has been put in danger in this place, and
until I have good and sufficient proof to the contrary I shall believe
that each man of you had a knowledge of it." He lifted his gaze to the
windows, some of which had been thrown up despite the bitter weather.
"I don't know why this is," said he to them, "but," and with his chin
out he defied them, "it would give me a great deal of pleasure to go
into the matter with you."
"It's an honest inn," said the big young man, as he smiled
good-humoredly at Anthony. "And filled with honest people. Your
romantic disposition and instinct for situations, if you'll let me say
so, sir, are leading you astray."
"I waken in the early morning," said Anthony, "and see a man with whom
I talked the night before holding a pistol pointed at me. A few minutes
later I see him about to drive off, assisted by the landlord. I attempt
to follow; the landlord tries to prevent me, and you all stand about
and agree that he's in the right." Out of the tail of his eye he saw
his horses being put into the sleigh; and he went on: "I think I could
remain here to good advantage for an hour or two," said he, "but the
gentleman who just now took to the road has the first claim to my
attention." He moved with a long stride toward the sleigh, and helped
the hostler with the traces and reins; also he looked sharply to the
buckles; and while doing so he continued, "However, I shall keep this
place in mind, and the questions I have to ask I will ask some of you
when we meet again."
"You think, then, there will be another meeting," laughed the big young
man.
"At any rate," said Anthony, "you and I shall meet." He got into
the sleigh, wrapped the robes about him, and took up the reins. "So
give thought to it; I've had you in mind for some time, and want no
advantage over you."
And then he spoke to the horses; in a moment they were out of the inn
yard, and Anthony was facing toward New Castle in the track of the man
with the patch over his eye.