Down crashed the chair, and down went Marius, stunned and bleeding, under its terrific blow.

The sword clattered from his hand and rolled, with a pendulum-like movement, to the feet of Garnache.
The Parisian flung aside his chair and stooped to seize that very welcome blade.

He rose, grasping the hilt and gathering confidence from the touch of that excellently balanced weapon, and he swung round even as Fortunio and two of his braves appeared in the doorway..