Madelinette was standing,
tense and set with terror, her eyes riveted on something that crouched
beside a pile of cart-wheels a few feet away; something with shaggy head,
flaring eyes, and a devilish face. The thing raised itself and sprang
towards hers with a devouring cry. With desperate swiftness leaping
forward, Valmond caught the half man, half beast--it seemed that--by the
throat. Madelinette fell fainting against the anvil, and, dazed and
trembling, Elise hurried to her.
Valmond was in the grasp of a giant, and, struggle as he might, he could
not withstand the powerful arms of his assailant. They came to their
knees on the ground, where they clutched and strained for a wild minute,
Valmond desperately fighting to keep the huge bony fingers from his neck.
Suddenly the giant's knee touched the red-hot steel that Madelinette had
dropped, and with a snarl he flung Valmond back against the anvil, his
head striking the iron with a sickening thud. Then, seizing the steel,
he raised it to plunge the still glowing point into Valmond's eyes.
Centuries of doom seemed crowded into that instant of time. Valmond
caught the giant's wrist with both hands, and with a mighty effort
wrenched himself aside. His heart seemed to strain and burst, and just
as he felt the end was come, he heard something crash on the murderer's
skull, and the great creature fell with a gurgling sound, and lay like a
parcel of loose bones across his knees.
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