"Here's the red stone. That must be the ash. Now then!"
"You first, Nick." Then came a crackling and rustling of boughs, a
head appeared, and at that moment Stead loosed Growler and would have
dealt a blow with his stick, but that the assault of the dog had
sufficed to send the assailant, roaring and cursing, headlong down
the crag.
Furious threats came up to him and his dog, but he heard them in
silence, though Growler's replies were vociferous. Stead gathered
that the fall had in some degree hurt the man for he made an
exclamation of pain, and the others bade him stay there and keep back
the wench.
"We'll have you down though we smoke you out like a wasps' nest, you
disloyal adder, you," was one of the threats.
"Or serve him like the Spaniard at Porto Santo," said another.
Presently after numerous threats and warnings that they had firearms
and were determined to use them, two of the men began climbing much
more cautiously, holding by the trees, so as not to be suddenly
overthrown. However the furious attack of such a dog as Growler,
springing from utter darkness was a formidable matter, and the man
against whom he had launched himself could not but fall in his turn,
but the dog went after him, and the companion, being on his guard,
was not overthrown.
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