Holman
relieved him of the revolver and cartridges he had in his pockets,
strapped his arms behind him, and with Maru's hand clutching the collar
of his coat, we signalled to him to step forward and step lively if he
wished to delay his journey to the other world till his soul was in a
better condition. The sun was close to the high ridges in the west, and
we wished to close with Leith before nightfall.
One Eye taxed our climbing powers in the next ten minutes. With the
agility of a chamois he scurried along the narrow ledges, and several
times Maru was forced to check his speed so that we could keep pace with
him. Holman's face showed the joy he felt at receiving another
opportunity to retrieve the blunders we had made in our two previous
attacks. Now we had reduced the big villain's fighting bodyguard to two
persons, Soma and the dancer, and if he had not impressed the carriers,
we outnumbered him. But Leith was on his own ground, and we had already
discovered that the Isle of Tears made an ideal retreat for an outlaw.
The nearly impassable jungle, surrounded by the cliffs that were
tunnelled with tremendous caverns, made a hiding place in which a few
men could defy an army.
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