One stroke of his short sword sent a leering negro prone upon the pavement; one snatch of his hand seized the white mantle, and held it--held it though half a dozen blades were flashing in his face in an eye's twinkling.

But the prowess of twenty men was in the arm of Demetrius; his sword was at once attacker and shield; with a single sweeping blow he smote down the guard and cleft the skull of a towering Teuton; with a lightning dart he caught up the ponderous long sword of the falling brigand, passed his own shorter weapon to his left hand, and so fought,--doubly armed,--parrying with his left and striking with his right.

And how he struck! The whole agile, supple nature of the Greek entered into every fence.

He struck and foiled with his entire body.

Now a bound to one side; now a dart at an opponent's head; fighting with feet, head, frame, and not with hands only.