"Keep back, Davie! Are ye daft! Damn ye, keep back!" roared Alan.
"Your blood be on your ain heid then!"
I beat their blades down twice. I was knocked reeling against the
wall; I was back again betwixt them. They took no heed of me,
thrusting at each other like two furies. I can never think how I
avoided being stabbed myself or stabbing one of these two
Rodomonts, and the whole business turned about me like a piece of a
dream; in the midst of which I heard a great cry from the stair,
and Catriona sprang before her father. In the same moment the
point of my sword encountered some thing yielding. It came back to
me reddened. I saw the blood flow on the girl's kerchief, and
stood sick.
"Will you be killing him before my eyes, and me his daughter after
all!" she cried.
"My dear, I have done with him," said Alan, and went, and sat on a
table, with his arms crossed and the sword naked in his hand.
Awhile she stood before the man, panting, with big eyes, then swung
suddenly about and faced him.
"Begone!" was her word, "take your shame out of my sight; leave me
with clean folk.
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