" An American
girl of the highest social caste borne in the arms of that most
vicious of all social pariahs--the criminal mucker of the slums
of a great city--and defending them with drawn revolver, a
French count and soldier of fortune, while in their wake
streamed a yelling pack of half-caste demons clothed in the
habiliments of sixteenth century Japan, and wielding the
barbarous spears of the savage head-hunting aborigines whose
fierce blood coursed in their veins with that of the descendants
of Taka-mi-musu-bi-no-kami.
Three-quarters of the distance had been covered in safety
before the samurai came within safe spear range of the trio.
Theriere, seeing the danger to the girl, dropped back a few
paces hoping to hold the brown warriors from her. The
foremost of the pursuers raised his weapon aloft, carrying his
spear hand back of his shoulder for the throw. Theriere's
revolver spoke, and the man pitched forward, rolling over and
over before he came to rest.
A howl of rage went up from the samurai, and a half-dozen
spears leaped at long range toward Theriere. One of the
weapons transfixed his thigh, bringing him to earth. Byrne was
at the forest's edge as the Frenchman fell--it was the girl,
though, who witnessed the catastrophe.
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