Zang he had shaken the gun out of the latter's paralyzed grip and spurned it out of reach with his foot. But the quick flux of action had prevented his mind from encompassing all the angles of the situation; his interest, centered wholly on the man, had overlooked the woman. As, head to breast, he jammed Whistler against the wall Original caught from the tail of his eye Hilma's swift bound for the weapon he thought he had rendered useless.
He saw her stoop and straighten with the thing in her hand just as Whistler, bracing one foot against the log wall behind him, gave a mighty heave forward. Even as their two bodies lurched outward Original pivoted on one heel and swung his opponent's body between himself and the rising weapon.
"Get him, girl!" Zang screamed in a whistling breath. But Hilma, finding herself in danger of being caught in the angle between the projecting fireplace and the back wall, twisted to escape and tripped over one of Zang's flailing legs. Before she could recover herself Original seized the instant's opportunity and, half lifting Zang with a tremendous heave of his shoulders, jammed him back against the girl in the trap of solid stone and
