Johnny Eames ran on gallantly to the peer's assistance, as he would
have run to that of any peasant in the land. He was one to whom I
should be perhaps wrong to attribute at this period of his life the
gift of very high courage. He feared many things which no man should
fear; but he did not fear personal mishap or injury to his own skin
and bones. When Cradell escaped out of the house in Burton Crescent,
making his way through the passage into the outer air, he did so
because he feared that Lupex would beat him or kick him, or otherwise
ill-use him. John Eames would also have desired to escape under
similar circumstances; but he would have so desired because he could
not endure to be looked upon in his difficulties by the people of the
house, and because his imagination would have painted the horrors
of a policeman dragging him off with a black eye and a torn coat.
There was no one to see him now, and no policeman to take offence.
Therefore he rushed to the earl's assistance, brandishing his stick,
and roaring in emulation of the bull.
When the animal saw with what unfairness he was treated, and that
the number of his foes was doubled, while no assistance had lent
itself on his side, he stood for a while, disgusted by the injustice
of humanity. He stopped, and throwing his head up to the heavens,
bellowed out his complaint. "Don't come close!" said the earl, who
was almost out of breath. "Keep a little apart. Ugh! ugh! whoop,
whoop!" And he threw up his arms manfully, jobbing about with his
spud, ever and anon rubbing the perspiration from off his eyebrows
with the back of his hand.
As the bull stood pausing, meditating whether under such
circumstances flight would not be preferable to gratified passion,
Eames made a rush in at him, attempting to hit him on the head. The
earl, seeing this, advanced a step also, and got his spud almost up
to the animal's eye. But these indignities the beast could not stand.
He made a charge, bending his head first towards John Eames, and
then, with that weak vacillation which is as disgraceful in a bull
as in a general, he changed his purpose, and turned his horns upon
his other enemy. The consequence was that his steps carried him in
between the two, and that the earl and Eames found themselves for a
while behind his tail.
"Now for the gate," said the earl.
"Slowly does it; slowly does it; don't run!" said Johnny, assuming in
the heat of the moment a tone of counsel which would have been very
foreign to him under other circumstances.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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