I saw that they were gaining and turned quickly.
I had time to raise my flail and bring it down upon the head of the leader, who fell as I had seen a beef fall under the ax.

Another man stopped beyond the reach of my flail and, after a second's hesitation, turned and ran away in the darkness.
I could hear or see no other motion in the field.

I turned and ran on down the slope toward the village.

In a moment I saw some one coming out of the maple grove at the field's end, just ahead, with a lantern.
Then I heard the voice of the schoolmaster saying: "Is it you, my lad ?" "Yes," I answered, as I came up to him and Mary, in a condition of breathless excitement.
I told them of the curious adventure I had had.
"Come quick," said the schoolmaster.

"Let's go back and find the man in the stubble." I remembered that I had struck the path in my flight just before stopping to swing the flail.