I dodged the fall of the knife, and struck hard with my pistol butt at the uplifted arm.

I felt no fear, only intense anger at my folly in not having looked better to my priming.

But the shock of the man's charge upset me, and the next I knew of it we were wrestling on the ground.
I had his right arm by the wrist, but I was no match for him in suppleness, and in the position in which we lay I could not use the weight of my shoulders.

The most I could do was to keep him from striking, and to effect that my strength was stretched to its uttermost.

My eyes filmed with weariness, and my breath came in gasps, for, remember, I had been up all night, and that day had already travelled many miles.