The first time they did this Nunez laughed.  But afterwards he did not laugh.

One struck his trail in the meadow grass and came stooping and feeling his way along it.

For five minutes he watched the slow extension of the cordon, and then his vague disposition to do something forthwith became frantic.  He stood up, went a pace or so towards the circumferential wall, turned, and went back a little way.  There they all stood in a crescent, still and listening.

He also stood still, gripping his spade very tightly in both hands.  Should he charge them?

The pulse in his ears ran into the rhythm of “In the Country of the Blind the One-Eyed Man is King.”

Should he charge them?

He looked back at the high and unclimbable wall behind—­unclimbable because of its smooth plastering, but withal pierced with many little doors and at the approaching line of seekers.  Behind these others were now coming out of the street of houses.

Should he charge them?

“Bogota!” called one.  “Bogota! where are you?”

He gripped his spade still tighter and advanced down the meadows towards the place of habitations, and directly he moved they converged upon him.  “I’ll hit them if they touch me,” he swore; “by Heaven, I will.  I’ll hit.”  He called aloud, “Look here, I’m going to do what I like in this valley!  Do you hear?  I’m going to do what I like and go where I like.”

They were moving in upon him quickly, groping, yet moving rapidly.  It was like playing blind man’s buff with everyone blindfolded except one.  “Get hold of him!” cried one.  He found himself in the arc of a loose curve of pursuers.  He felt suddenly he must be active and resolute.

“You don’t understand,” he cried, in a voice that was meant to be great and resolute, and which broke.  “You are blind and I can see.  Leave me alone!”

“Bogota!  Put down that spade and come off the grass!”

The last order, grotesque in its urban familiarity, produced a gust of anger.  “I’ll hurt you,” he said, sobbing with emotion.  “By Heaven, I’ll hurt you!  Leave me alone!”

He began to run—­not knowing clearly where to run.  He ran from the nearest blind man, because it was a horror to hit him.  He stopped, and then made a dash to escape from their closing ranks.  He made for where a gap was wide, and the men on either side, with a quick perception of the approach of his paces, rushed in on one another.  He sprang forward, and then saw he must be caught, and swish! the spade had struck.  He felt the soft thud of hand and arm, and the man was down with a yell of pain, and he was through.

Through!  And then he was close to the street of houses again, and blind men, whirling spades and stakes, were running with a reasoned swiftness hither and thither.

He heard steps behind him just in time, and found a tall man rushing forward and swiping at the sound of him.  He lost his nerve, hurled his spade a yard wide of this antagonist, and whirled about and fled, fairly yelling as he dodged another.