His deadly deliberateness and the steady glare of his eyes discomfited Quade, who suddenly took a step backward.
It was always when the Indian made this step that his opponent darted in; and Aldous, with this in mind, sprang to the attack.

Their knives clashed in midair.

As they met, hilt to hilt, Aldous threw his whole weight against Quade, darted sidewise, and with a terrific lunge brought the blade of his knife down between Quade's shoulders.

A straight blade would have gone from back to chest through muscle and sinew, but the knife which Aldous held scarcely pierced the other's clothes.
Not until then did he fully realize the tremendous odds against him.

The curved blade of his skinning-knife would not penetrate! His one hope was to cut with it.