But the next minute a balloon-trousered child rushed up to us
and tugged at Jan's coat.
"Quick, the devil man is doing more bad things."
We ran down the road beyond the village and saw him in the distance
dancing on an old Turk's bare feet with hobnailed boots, alternating
this amusement with cuffs on the face. We sprinted along, and seeing a
convenient little river wriggling along by the roadside, Jan caught him
by the neck and the seat of his trousers, swung him round, and pitched
him in. The man sat for a moment, bewildered, in the water, and then
climbed out uttering dreadful oaths; but as he came up Jan knocked him
into the water again.
Men in firemen's uniforms appeared from all sides, shouting--
"What are you doing? You mustn't. Who are you?"
"We know the governor," said Jo. The men were making gestures of
deference when the reprobate rushed from the river, aiming a whirling
blow at Jan which missed.
The men hurled themselves on him, but he grabbed Jan's coat to which he
clung, howling in unexpected English--
"Shake 'ands wi' y' ennemi.
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