An Evil Eye

143

Not far away two very cold, very unhappy young men crawled out of the icy water and sank down in the mud.

Fizerly’s knuckles were covered in blood. He thought he’d lost a tooth.

“Blasted caiquejees!” Compston spat. “Think they’d want to save a life-almost killed us!”

Dark figures approached, gingerly, over the slippery ground.

“Towels, gentlemen. And my congratulations!” Esterhazy snapped his fingers. “I have brought rubbing spirits. My man will see that you get warm as quickly as possible.”

“Rubbing be damned,” Compston gasped, and shot out a trembling arm. “Good man!”

The bottle rattled against his bloody mouth.