Cavalry can't reach us except by the road that we came and with our rifles we can hold it a long time." The mention of the word "rifle," put a thought in the head of Antoine Picard, in whose veins the blood of Vikings flowed, and who that night was a veritable Viking of the land.

Leaving John and the two women to feed the signal fire, he secured one of the powerful breech-loading rifles from the automobile, and quietly stole down the path.
Antoine, although he held a modern weapon in his hand, had shed centuries of civilization.

As still as death as he trod lightly in the dark road, he was, nevertheless, consumed with the wild Berserk rage against those who followed him.

He knew that hussars would soon appear on the slope, but he intended that a lion should be in their path and he stroked lovingly the barrel of the powerful breech-loader.

Behind him the flames were shooting higher and higher, pouring red streaks against the velvet blue of the sky.