Спрут: Калифорнийская история
Chapter V.
Therewasthearch-enemy;themanofallmenwhomhemosthated;themanwhohadruinedhim,whohadexasperatedhimanddrivenhimtocrime,andwhohadinstigatedtirelesspursuitthroughallthosepastterribleweeks.Suddenly,invitingdeath,heleapedupandforward;hehadforgottenallelse,allotherconsiderations,atthesightofthisman.Hewoulddie,gladly,soonlythatS.Behrmandiedbeforehim.
“I’vegotYOU,anyway,”heshouted,asheranforward.
ThemuzzleoftheweaponwasnottenfeetfromS.Behrman’shugestomachasDykedrewthetrigger.Hadthecartridgeexploded,death,certainandswift,wouldhavefollowed,butatthis,ofallmoments,therevolvermissedfire.
S.Behrman,withanunexpectedagility,leapedfromthesaddle,and,keepinghishorsebetweenhimandDyke,ran,dodgingandducking,fromtreetotree.Hisfirstshotafailure,Dykefiredagainandagainathisenemy,emptyinghisrevolver,recklessofconsequences.Hiseveryshotwentwild,andbeforehecoulddrawhisknife,thewholepossewasuponhim.
Withoutconcertedplans,obeyingnosignalbutthepromptingsoftheimpulsethatsnatched,unerring,atopportunity—themen,DelaneyandChristianfromoneside,thesheriffandthedeputyfromtheother,rushedin.Theydidnotfire.ItwasDykealivetheywanted.Oneofthemhadariatasnatchedfromasaddle-pommel,andwiththistheytriedtobindhim.
