And
before us, was a small ridging up of the dark Land, as I did judge,
because that our view of the lights and the shinings was bounded; and to
our left at a great way the low volcanoes, and somewhat to our right,
across all that part of the Land went the cold and horrid glare of the
Shine. Now, in a little while, I felt that the ground did be sloped upward
before us a little, and by this thing I saw that I had known aright, for
that there did be a ridge that hid the Land somewise over unto the part
where I lookt to find the mouth of the Upward Gorge. And we went up this
slope at a strong pace, because that I was so eager that I find where we
did be in nearness unto the mouth of the Upward Gorge. And surely, I was something forgetful, in mine eagerness, and came
somewhat ahead of Mine Own, who did make to hide from me that she did
begin to lag, because that her new strength was near gone from her. And sudden there did be a very dreadful cry, to my back; and I came
round in one instant, so quick as a light doth flash; for it was the
voice of Mine Own, and all my being did suddenly burn with fear that
kindled through me in a moment of thought. And lo! Mine Own did struggle terribly with a yellow thing which I
perceived to be a man with four arms; and the Man had two arms about the
Maid, and with two did make to choke her unto death; for she cried out
no more. And I came unto the Man with a quick leaping, and stopt not to pluck the
Diskos from my hip; and surely I did be very strong, and mine anger and
rage to make me monstrous; for I caught the two upper arms of the Man,
and brought them backward in an instant, so fierce and savage, and so
wrencht upon them, that I brake them in the shoulders of the Man. And the Man roared and shriekt, even as a wild and dreadful Beast should
cry out, and came round upon me with the two lower arms. And surely it
was a mighty and brutish thing, and so broad and bulkt as an ox, and the
lower arms were huge and greatly haired, and the fingers of the hands
did have the nails grown into horrid talons, as that they should grip
very bitter. And it caught me by the thighs, to rip me upward, as I did fear; but yet
this did not be the intent of the Man; for in a moment it caught me
round the body; and on the instant, I gat the Man by the great throat,
and the throat did be haired, and so great as the neck of a bull. And I
strove with mine armoured hands that I choke the Man, and surely I made
it to suffer great trouble; yet, I could not harm it in the life. And so I did be an horrid minute, and fought with the Beast, with no
more than the strength of my body; and it was as that an human went with
his hands to slay a monster so strong as an horse. And the breath of the
Man-Beast came at me, and did sicken me; and I held the face off from
me; for I had died with horror, if that it had come more anigh; and
surely the mouth of the Man was small and shaped so that I knew that it
did never eat of aught that it did slay; but to drink as a vampire; and
in truth, I did mean that I chop the Man to pieces, if that I have
chance to the Diskos. And I did sway this way and that, as we did struggle; and surely it was
as that the Man had never made to use the lower arms, save to hold unto
prey, the while that it did use the upper arms to strangle, as I do
think. For all that weary minute of the fight, the Man made not to loose
from me, that it should tear my hands from their grip to the throat; but
made vain waggings with the arms that I brake, as that it would use
these to the attack; but surely they had no more power to do hurt. And sudden, it put forth an utter power about my body, so that mine
armour did be like to crack; and truly I had died in a moment; but for
the strongness of the armour. And the man hugged me thus for an horrid
time, the while that I did hold off from me the brutish face, and gript
very savage into the haired throat. And lo! the creature did work slow in the brain, and in the end loost
from me, abrupt, and went back with a leap, so that my hands did be ript
from the throat of the Beast. And in one instant it did be back unto me,
and gave me no moment to free the Diskos. But I made anew to fight, and
shaped as I had learned in the Exercises of mine Upbringing; for truly I
had been alway deep in practice of such matters. And I slipt from the
great hands of the Man, as it did try to take me by the head; and I hit
the Man with mine armoured fist, and put a great power and skill to the
blow. And I went instant to the side with a swift stepping, and evaded
the Man, and I smote the Man again, and took him very savage in the
neck; but all the while grown very cold and brutal and cruel; for I was
set to the slaying. And the Man-Beast came round on me; and lo! I slipt
the gripe of the great hands, and my body and my legs and mine arms did
work together unto that last blow; so that I did hit so hard as a great
hammer. And I gat the Beast in the throat, and the Beast went backward
to the earth, even as it did think to hold me. And lo! in a moment, I was free, and I pluckt forth the Diskos from my
hip. And the Yellow Beast-Man grunted upon the ground; and it rose up
again to come at me; and it stood and did grunt, and did seem as that it
was gone mazed; for it did make other sounds, and an horrid screeching,
so that truly, by the way of it, I conceived that it cried out unknown
and half-shapen words at me. And in a moment, it came again at me; but I
cut the head from the Beast-Man, that was in verity an horrid monster,
and the Man died, and was quiet upon the earth. And truly, in that moment, the distress of mine efforts and mine utter
tiredness and the ache of the bruises took me; so that I do surely think
I rockt as I stood; but yet was my head strong to think and my heart set
in anxiousness; for I wotted not how great an hurt had been done upon
Mine Own. And I ran to her, and came to where she did be upon the ground; and
surely she was all huddled, and had her hands very piteous to her
throat, that did be so pretty. And it did shake me in that moment that
she was truly slain; for she was gone so utter still and as that she did
be broken unto death. And I took her hands from her throat, and surely it did be a little
torn; yet not to be much, or so that it should loose her of her dear
life. And I strove that I steady the trembling of my hands; and I gat
free of mine armoured gloves; and made that I feel whether her throat
did be deadly hurt; and, in verity, it seemed not so; only that my hands
did so shake, because that I was so frightened for Mine Own, and because
that I was but new come from the battle; and because of this, I had not
power of touch to assure me. I made then that I quieten my breath, which did yet come very full and
laboured; and I put mine ear above the heart of the Maid, and lo! her
heart did beat, and the horridness of my fear went from me in a moment.