I thought of Bradley, waiting for these thugs to tell him what they had
done to me, and I cursed him.
The car was only a few yards off now. Joe and Ted were hanging
on, standing on the running-boards. As soon as they got within reach
of me, they jumped off, and closed in on me.
I dodged Joe, ran in the opposite direction. Ted came rushing
after me. I slowed, let him come up, then dropped on hands and
knees. His knees cannoned into my side and he went head first into
the grass. Before Joe got within reach I was off again, but this time
Bert had manoeuvred the car so I was sandwiched between the car
and Joe,
I wheeled around, waited for Joe who came at me, cursing and
waving his arms. I ducked under them, straightened, caught him a
clout on the end of his nose which sent him reeling back.
But I couldn’t keep this dodging up for ever. They would catch me
in the end, and by that time I’d be so winded I’d be at their mercy. A
big tree a few yards away decided me. I swerved past Bert who came
lumbering up, ran across to the tree, set my shoulders against it,
waited for them.
I had time to look around the expanse of ground. There was not a
house or building to be seen, nor could I see any car lights to indicate
a main road. The spot was as bleak and as lonely as a Welsh
mountain.
The three men sorted themselves out, came forward, stopped
before me.
As I surveyed them I thought the dying gladiator was a happy man
beside me. I lifted my fists to show them they weren’t going to have it
all their own way, waited.
Bert and Ted stood to my right and left. Joe was in the centre.
“Now, chum,” Joe said, drawing near, “we’re gonna bash you, and
then you’re getting outa this country, see? If you don’t, we’ll collect
you again and bash you some more, see? Arid we’ll go on bashing you
until you do go, see?”
“I get the idea,” I said, watching them closely. “But don’t blame
me if you guys get hurt. I don’t usually fight with guys below my
weight and strength. It’s against my principles.”
Joe roared with laughter. “That’s a ‘ot ‘un,” he said. “We know
‘ow to take care of ourselves, matey. It’s you who’re going to get
‘urt.”
I had an uneasy feeling that he wasn’t going to be far wrong. “Go
on, paste ‘im, Joe,” Ted urged. “When you’re through wid ‘im I’ll ‘ave
a go.”
“There won’t be much left of ‘im by the time I’m through,” Joe
said, doubling his fists.
“I ain’t particular,” Ted said. “Just so long as you leave me
something to work on.”
Joe slouched forward, his bullet head low, his thick lips drawn off
his teeth. He looked as attractive as a gorilla, twice as dangerous.
I waited for him in the shadow of the tree, glad the moon was
behind me.
He kept coming, his big feet shuffling over the grass, making a
slight swishing sound. He wasn’t quite sure of me, didn’t know if I
could hurt him or not. He wasn’t taking any chances.
“Don’t take all night,” Ted called impatiently. “I wanna go ‘ome
even if you don’t.”
“Don’t rush him,” I said, suddenly waving my arms, and made a
move towards Joe, who cursed, stepped back, then darted forward,
his left list shooting towards my heal. I slipped the punch, hit him in
the ribs, swung a right to his jaw. He backed away with a grunt, came
at me again. A haymaker whistled past my head, a left grazed my ear.
I uncorked a right that caught him in the throat, lifted him off his feet
and stretched him flat on his back.
I blew on my knuckles, stepped back against the tree, looked over
at Ted.
“You’re next, son,” I said. “I treat ‘em all the same, no favouritism,
no waiting.”
Ted and Bert gaped at Joe, then, together, rushed at me.
I thought at least I’ve hurt one of the punks, hit Bert on the nose,
collected a punch on the side of the head from Ted that made my
teeth rattle. Bert flung himself on me, snarling, his great fists thudded
into my body. He was quite a hitter. I felt as if Tower Bridge had fallen
on me. I shoved him off, measured him, socked a couple of lefts into
his flat, ugly puss. Ted came up, caught me with a right, and I
countered with a left. Then suddenly a light exploded inside my head
and I felt myself falling.
I came to a moment or so later. I was lying on the grass, someone
was kicking my ribs very hard. I rolled away, tried to get up, but
another lick sent me flat again.
I heard Joe bawling savagely, “Lemme get at him.”
I had time to see him rushing at me, leap high into the air. I
managed to twist sideways, grab his foot. He tried to pull away, but I
had a hold. I turned his foot, wrenched it, threw my weight on it. I had
the satisfaction of hearing a bone go, and Joe’s howl of pain, then a
hand seized my hair, and a fist like a lump of iron crashed on my chin.
I felt myself rise in the air, and I landed on the thick grass with a
thump that knocked the wind out of me.
I was now half crazy with rage, and struggled to get up, but found
I hadn’t the strength to support myself. I fell forward on hands and
knees. A great crushing weight dropped on me and I went flat.
Although I knew what followed, I couldn’t do anything to stop them,
couldn’t defend myself.
Two of them systematical y beat me up. One dragged me to my
feet, held me upright, while the other bashed my face and chest with
his fists. They made a boxing sack out of me. When one got tired, the
other took over. It seemed to go on for a long time. There was nothing
I could do but take it. So I took it.
At last, they were through. They left me lying on my back blood
running into my eyes, my body pulverized. I felt little pain. That would
come later. At the moment, I could see the moon through swollen
eyes, hear what was going on as if the sounds were coming to me out
of a fog.
I was still half crazy with temper, and after a few minutes, I
managed to hoist myself to my feet. I reeled around like a drunk, fell
down again. My hand closed over a big round flint stone. That gave
me a little incentive.
Crawling upon my hands and knees, holding the flint tightly,
feeling its sharp edges digging into my fingers, I peered around until I
located the three men a few yards from me.
Ted and Bert were giving first aid attention to Joe’s ankle. It was
nice to hear his curses as they probed the swollen member with their
thick, unfeeling fingers.
I levered myself to my feet, swayed backwards, recovered, set out
across the grass towards them. It took me a little time, and it was like
walking against a strong wind. Ted heard me when I was a few feet
away, turned.
“For crying out aloud!” he exclaimed, “I’ll bust my mit on his ugly
snug this time, s’welp me if I don’t.”
I found I couldn’t get any farther, so I waited patiently for him to
come to me. He sauntered up, flexing his right arm. Bert and Joe
turned their heads to watch. Bert was grinning; Joe was snarling at
me.
Ted planted himself in front of me, set himself.
“Now, chum,” he said, “I’m about to demonstrate ‘ow I put Little