He searched the line of light with eager eyes. He listened to the
sound of movement. These things were all he had to rely on, and on
their accurate reading depended his chances of victory or defeat, with
its certainty of swift death.
In two places there ware still definite breaks in the line. He knew he
had accounted for two of the enemy. Originally a volley of six shots
had come at him. There were two unaccounted for. Where were these?
They were not standing.
He looked for no depths of subtlety in the methods of these men. He
understood their ruffianism too well. Therefore the sound of movement
that reached him suggested the obvious result of their first failure.
It was the presage of an attack at close quarters.
He listened intently. The sounds were of shuffling bodies, moving
uncertainly, possibly fearful of contact with obstruction which might
betray them. And he calculated they were approaching low down along
the side walls, thus hoping to offer the least target possible. If
they reached him the chances would be all against him.
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