against the fore-part of
the diligence, and the mighty arm whose strength had been so proved
at Perugia was now descending again with irresistible force upon the
heads of his assailants. All this was the work of but a few minutes.
Buttons could not be seen. Dick's preparations were made. For a moment
he waited for a favorable chance to get down. He could not stay up
there any longer. He must stand by the Senator.

There stood the Senator, his giant form towering up amidst the melee,
his muscular arms wielding the enormous iron bar, his astonishing
strength increased tenfold by the excitement of the fight. He never
spoke a word.

One after another the brigands went down before the awful descent of
that iron bar. They clung together; they yelled in fury; they threw
themselves _en masse_ against the Senator. He met them as a rock meets
a hundred waves. The remorseless iron bar fell only with redoubled
fury. They raised their clubbed muskets in the air and struck at him.
One sweep of the iron bar and the muskets were dashed out of their
hands, broken or bent, to the ground. They fired, but from their wild
excitement their aim was useless. In the darkness they struck at one
another. One by one the number of his assailants lessened--they grew
more furious but less bold. They fell back a little; but the Senator
advanced as they retired, guarding his own retreat, but still swinging
his iron bar with undiminished strength. The prostrate forms of a
dozen men lay around. Again they rushed at him. The voice of their
leader encouraged them and shamed their fears. He was a stoat,
powerful man, armed with a knife and a gun.

[Illustration: Don't Speak.]

"Cowards! kill this one! This is the one! All the rest will yield if
we kill him. Forward!"

That moment Dick leaped to the ground. The next instant the brigands
leaped upon them. The two were lost in the crowd. Twelve reports, one
after the other, rang into the air. Dick did not fire till the muzzle
of his pistol was against his enemy's breast. The darkness, now deeper
than ever, prevented him from being distinctly seen by the furious
crowd, who thought only of the Senator. But now the fire shooting up
brightly at the sudden breath of a strong wind threw a lurid light
upon the scene.

There stood Dick, his clothes torn, his face covered with blood, his
last charge gone. There stood the Senator, his face blackened with
smoke and dust, and red with blood, his colossal form