“I tell you,” he shouted, “I have no money.”

“But you showed two bags of gold in the restaurant,” said one of the men pressing in on him.

“Well, what if I did?” demanded Ivan.  “That gold is not mine.  It belongs to your king and I am taking it to him.”

“A likely story,” said one man in the crowd with a sneer.  “You stole it some place.  We want a share.”

“Oh, you do?” said Ivan, and he broke into a loud laugh.  “Well, you won’t get it.  First, however, I want to tell you again, that I did not steal the money and that it is not mine.”

“Then why,” said another of the crowd, “why did you dip into one of the bags to pay for a drink at the restaurant?”

“Why?” echoed Ivan in a loud voice.  “I’ll tell you.  Because I was dry.”

“But if the gold is not yours?”

For a moment Ivan appeared somewhat flustered.  But he made answer after a moment.

“I am entitled to the price of a glass of wine for carrying this gold for the king.  That’s why.”

“It’s my belief you filled up on wine before you got the gold,” said another voice in the crowd.

“You may have any belief you choose,” shouted Ivan angrily.  “But now stand aside.  I am going on my way.”

“Not until you give us a share of your spoils,” said a voice close to him.

“Ho!” said Ivan.  “You think so.  Ho!  Ho!”

He took a step forward and his merriment subsided.

“Stand aside there!” he commanded sternly.

For a moment it appeared that the crowd would give before him, but a man in the back of the crowd cried: 

“What! will you run from one man, a drunken man at that?”

Another, closer to the giant, reached out a hand and sought to clutch the bag of gold Ivan held in his left hand.

With a sudden movement and a loud cry, Ivan stretched forth a hand and seized the man by the throat.  Then he lifted him high in the air and hurled him through space.  The man struck the ground with a loud cry of pain.

At the same instant a second man struck at Ivan with a club.

With a cry of anger, Ivan reached forth and seized the club; then, whirling it about his head, brought it down on the man’s skull.  The man toppled over like a log.

Now Ivan began to laugh in glee.

“Ho!  Ho!” he cried.  “Come on and take the gold,” and he brandished it aloft in his left hand.  “What!  Are you afraid of one man?  Ho!  Ho!”

The crowd gave back as Ivan moved forward.

A man from behind sprang forward and stabbed the giant between the shoulders with a thin knife.

Ivan whirled about with a terrible cry.  Then, raising his recently acquired club, he dashed in among the crowd and laid about him right and left.  Men went down on all sides and in a moment the others turned and fled.

One, from a distance, drew a revolver and fired.  Whether the bullet came close to the giant, Hal could not tell, but he drew his own revolver, and springing forward, cried: