His reasons were that here in this guardroom the best he could do would be to put his back to the wall, where he might pick off one or two before they made an end of him.

The place was too bare to suit his urgent, fearful need.

Within the inner room there was furniture to spare, with which he might contrive to hamper his opponents and give them such a lusty fight as would live in the memory of those who might survive it for as long as they should chance to live thereafter.
He had no thought of perishing himself, although, to any less concerned, his death, sooner or later, must seem inevitable--the only possible conclusion to this affray, taken as he was.

His mind was concerned only with this fight; his business to kill, and not himself to be slain.

He knew that presently others would come to support these three.