.
Henriette, who had not followed the others, came up and stood beside
him, her great dark eyes, full of horror, fixed upon General Ratoneau.
She was motionless and dumb; under the folds of her frock, her fingers
gripped the little pistol. As long as she remained silent, neither of
the men saw that she was there.

"Look!" said Ratoneau. He held out his sword, red and still wet, as he
had thrust it back into the scabbard after killing Monsieur Joseph.
"Give up the girl to me or you follow your uncle," he said, after a
moment's frightful pause.

Henriette came a step nearer, came quite close and looked at the sword.
Every drop of her own blood had forsaken her small face, always delicate
and pale. Suddenly she stretched out her hand and touched the sword,
saying in a low voice, "That was why he did not come back!"

"Oh, good God! Go away, child!" cried Angelot, suddenly waking from his
trance of horror, and pushing her violently back.

Then he drew his knife and sprang furiously upon the General.

"Villain! murderer!" he shouted as he closed with him; for this was no
formal fight with swords.

"Keep off, little devil, or I'll tear you to pieces!" shrieked Ratoneau.
"What! You will have it? Come on then, plague upon you, cursed wild
cat!"

It was an unequal struggle; for Angelot, though strong, was slender and
small, and Ratoneau had height and width of chest, besides great
muscular power. And he hated Angelot with all the intensity of his
violent nature. It was a case in which strength told, and Angelot had
been unwise in trusting to his own. A duel with pistols, as he had no
sword, would have been better for him. Still, at first, his furious
attack brought him some advantage. He wrenched Ratoneau's sword from his
hand and flung it into the stream. Twice he wounded him slightly with
his knife, but Ratoneau, hugging him like a bear, made it difficult to
strike, and the fight became a tremendous wrestling match, in which the
two men struggled and panted and slipped and lurched from side to side,
from the grassy bank to the willows by the water, each vainly trying to
throw the other.

The issue of such a combat could not long be doubtful. Courage and
energy being equal, the taller and heavier man was sure to have the
better of it. Several times Angelot tried to trip his enemy up, but
failed, for his wrestling skill, as well as his strength, was not equal
to Ratoneau's. The General was more successful. A twist of hi