for the sill sloped,
and the stone was finely smooth; but I shot out my hand and gripped
hers by the wrist, and instantly she clambered up with both knees on the
sills, and her fingers twined round to grip my wrist in her turn.

And now you will suppose she gushed out prayers and promises, thinking
only of safety and enlargement. There was nothing of this. With savage
panting wordlessness she took fresh grip on the sharpened bone with her
spare hand, and lunged with it desperately through the arrow-slit. With
the hand that clutched mine she drew me towards her, so as to give the
blows the surer chance, and so unprepared was I for such an attack, and
with such fierce suddenness did she deliver it, that the first blow was
near giving me my quietus. But I grappled with the poor frantic creature
as gently as might be--the stone of the wall separating us always--and
stripped her of her weapon, and held her firmly captive till she might
calm herself.

"That was an ungrateful blow," I said. "But for my hand you'd have
slipped and be the sport of a tiger's paw this minute."

"Oh, I must kill some one," she panted, "before I am killed myself."

"There will be time enough to think upon that some other day; but for
now you are far enough off meeting further harm."

"You are lying to me. You will throw me to the beasts as soon as I loose
my grip. I know your kind: you will not be robbed of your sport."

"I will go so far as to prove myself to you," said I, and called out for
the warder who had tended the doors below. "Bid those tigers be tethered
on a shorter chain," I ordered, "and then go yourself outside into the
circus, and help this lady delicately to the ground."

The word was passed and these things were done; and I too came out into
the circus and joined the woman, who stood waiting under the moonlight.
But the others who had seen these doings were by no means suited at the
change of plan. One of the great stone valves of the farther door opened
hurriedly, and a man strode out, armed and flushed. "By all the Gods!"
he shouted. "Who comes between me and my pastime?"

I stepped quietly to the advance. "I fear, sir," I said, "that you must
launch your anger against me. By accident I gave that woman sanctuary,
and I had not heart to toss her back to your beasts."

His fingers began to snap against his hilt.

"You have come to the wrong market here with your qualms. I am captain
here, and my word carries, subject only