It was Gipsy's war-cry, and, at the sound of it, Duke became a frothing maniac.

He made a convulsive frontal attack upon the hobgoblin--and the massacre began.
Never releasing the fishbone for an instant, Gipsy laid back his ears in a chilling way, beginning to shrink into himself like a concertina, but rising amidships so high that he appeared to be giving an imitation of that peaceful beast, the dromedary.

Such was not his purpose, however, for, having attained his greatest possible altitude, he partially sat down and elevated his right arm after the manner of a semaphore.

This semaphore arm remained rigid for a second, threatening; then it vibrated with inconceivable rapidity, feinting.

But it was the treacherous left that did the work.