And Diggle, on his side, was nerved by the power of hate.  Baseless as were his suspicions of Desmond’s friendship with Sir Willoughby Stokes, he felt that this boy was an obstacle.  Ever since their paths had crossed he had been conscious that he had to do with a finer, nobler nature than his own:  and Desmond’s courage and skill had already frustrated him.  As he faced him now, it was with the feeling that, if this boy were killed, a bar would be removed from his career.

Thus, on either side, it was war to the death.  What Desmond lacked in skill and experience he made up for by youth and strength.  The two combatants were thus equally matched:  a grain in the scale might decide the issue.  But the longer the fight lasted the better were Desmond’s chances.  He had youth in his favor.  He had led a hard life:  his muscles were like iron.  The older man by and by began to flag:  more than once his guard was nearly beaten down:  nothing but his great skill in swordsmanship, and the coolness that never deserted him, saved him from the sharp edge of Desmond’s blade.

But when he seemed almost at the end of his strength, fortune suddenly befriended him.  Bulger, with his clubbed musket and terrible iron hook, had disposed of the two men who leaped with Diggle into the compound; but there were others behind them; three men dropped to the ground close by, and, making a simultaneous rush, bore Bulger back against Desmond, hampering his sword arm.

One of Desmond’s Sepoys sprang to the rescue, but he was too late to stem the tide.  A blow from a musket stock disabled Bulger’s right arm; he lost his footing; as he fell, his hook, still active, caught Diggle’s leg and brought him to the ground, just as, taking advantage of the diversion, he was making exultantly what he intended for a final lunge at Desmond.  He fell headlong, rolling over Bulger, who was already on the ground.

How the end came Desmond did not clearly see.  He knew that he was beset by three of Diggle’s men, and, falling back before them, he heard the voice of Phyllis Merriman close by, and felt his pistols thrust into his hands.  She had slipped out of the doorway, picked up the weapons as they lay where Desmond had flung them, completed the loading, and advanced fearlessly into the thick of the fray.  At one and the same moment Desmond fired upon his enemies and implored the brave girl to go back.

Then suddenly there was a lull in the uproar.  Bulger was upon his feet.  Diggle’s men paused to gaze at their prostrate leader.  Then every man of them was scrambling pell mell over the wall, yelling as the stocks of the Sepoys’ muskets sped them on their flight.

“What is it?” asked Desmond.

Bulger pointed to Diggle, among the fallen.

“He’ve gone to his account, sir, which I may be wrong, but the Almighty have got a long black score agen him.”

“How did it happen?”

Bulger lifted his hook.