Joel went
down. But he scrambled up with his eyes and mouth resembling those of a mad
hound Lucy once had seen. The fact that he reached twice for his gun and could
not find it proved the breaking connection of nerve and sense. Creech jumped
and grappled with Joel. There was a wrestling, strained struggle. Creech's
hair stood up and his face had a kind of sick fury, and he continued to curse
and command. They fought for the possession of the gun. But Joel seemed to
have superhuman strength. His hold on the gun could not be broken. Moreover,
he kept straining to point the gun at his father. Lucy screamed. Creech yelled
hoarsely. But the boy was beyond reason or help, and he was beyond over
powering! Lucy saw him bend his arm in spite of the desperate hold upon it and
fire the gun. Creech's hoarse entreaties ceased as his hold on Joel broke. He
staggered. His arms went up with a tragic, terrible gesture. He fell. Joel
stood over him, shaking and livid, but he showed only the vaguest realization
of the deed. His actions were instinctive.
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