Page:Artabanzanus (Ferrar, 1896).djvu/280

272 him with all my might. It caught him fairly between his leaden stony eyes. 'Now,' was my startling thought; 'now for the battle of the giant and the dwarf; now for utter annihilation at least!' But, to my surprise, and infinite relief, he turned slowly round and commenced howling, and walked deliberately into the lake, whose waters opened to receive him, and closed over him, and he troubled me no more.

'Ha! ha! hurrah! Bravo, well done, Ubertus!' shouted a well-known voice, with a loud laugh. 'Well done, my boy; you've given that fellow a salute which he will not get over in a hurry; bravo! hurrah!' and while I gazed in transfixed astonishment I saw the burly form of Doctor Julius rising from the ground at the other side of the fallen tree. I was struck dumb.

'Hurrah!' he continued, still laughing uproariously, and beginning to dance as he advanced towards me, 'you're a hero, Ubertus; you've done the trick! I never saw a neater or a better thing done in all my life; why, the slaughter of Partigan was nothing to it. We are both heroes, and jolly fine fellows! I have outwitted the Demon, and you have conquered him. Hurrah, hurrah! our agreement is null, you are witness to that—he pitched me out himself, and dismissed me of his own free will; he cannot claim me again, and you are free and I am free; we are both free to go where we like—hurrah, hurrah!'

'Doctor Julius,' I managed to ask at length, ' how in the name of a thousand wonders did you get here? I thought you were dashed to pieces on the rocks, or buried in the lake.'

He sat down on the fallen tree, took off his hat, wiped the perspiration from his forehead, and looked all around him. He could hardly make any reply, for his fits of joyous laughter nearly choked him. At length he said: