Two of the soldiers heard the advice and came on together with a
rush. The first of them caught the full swing of Tristram's musket
on the side of his stiff cap and went down like an ox. The second
took Captain Barker's sword through the left arm and dropped his
bayonet. But before either Tristram or the Captain could disengage
his weapon the other three assailants were upon them, and the fight
was over.
"Surrender!" cried one, holding his point against Tristram's chest.
"Must I?" the latter inquired, turning to Captain Barker.
"H'm, there seems to be no choice."
"And you also, sir."
"Certainly. Here is my sword; it belongs to your captain yonder,
whom you may recognise by his uniform. Assure him, with my
compliments--"
He was interrupted by the clatter of hoofs, and two gentlemen on
horseback came cantering up the road and drew rein suddenly.
"Hey! What have we here?" demanded a foreign voice.
The soldiers turned and presented arms in a flurry. The taller of
the two horsemen was an extremely handsome cavalier in a nut-brown
peruque and scarlet riding-suit on which several orders glistened.
He bestrode a black charger of remarkable size and beauty; and
seemed, by his stature and presence, to domineer over his companion,
a small man with a hooked nose and an extremely emaciated face, who
wore a plain habit of dark purple and rode a sorrel blood-mare of no
especial points.
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