Then he felt a quick, sharp pain in his left arm, and perceived that a shaft had passed clean through it.
There is this good thing about the arrow, that it has not weight enough to break bones, nor tearing power enough to necessarily paralyze muscle.
Thurstane could still manage a revolver with his wounded arm, while his right was good for almost any amount of slashing work.

Letting the rifle drop and swing from the pommel, he met the charge of two grinning and scowling lancers.

One thrust he parried with his sabre; from the other he saved his neck by stooping; but it drove through his coat collar, and nearly unseated him.

For a moment our bleeding and hampered young gladiator seemed to be in a bad way.

But he was strong; he braced himself in his stirrups, and he made use of both his hands.