But after a while Juan grew tired--too tired, at any rate, to keep up the stinging blows--and he held Diego pinned to the ground, his face being thereby brought within a few inches of Diego’s. The latter was in no mood for yielding; though he knew he was at the mercy of Juan, and could be punished more as soon as the strength of the latter returned. But his own was coming back now, and he would make a struggle as soon as Juan changed his position to strike again. At any rate, he would never ask for mercy.
In the meantime the breath of each was hot on the face of the other, and their eyes, almost blinded with rage, seemed, nevertheless, to shoot out sparks of fire. Diego made a sudden effort to throw off Juan. Juan gave him a sudden blow in the face and caught him again so that he could not move.
“Have you had enough?” asked Juan, who, even at that moment of fury, would have cared more for the submission of Diego than for anything else. It would have been more disgraceful to Diego.
“I’ll pound you till you can’t see nor move,” said Juan.
“Do it, do it!” screamed Diego, almost inarticulately.
“You’ll show me what an honest boy can do, will you?” said Juan, revengefully.
“Pound me, pound me!” screamed Diego, as if that were his dearest wish.
Juan was beside himself; but did not dare to release Diego to strike him again, for it was plain that Diego was growing stronger. He could beat his face with his head. Yes, he could do that. But stop! there was something better.
“Both your eyes are black,” he said, tauntingly.
Diego had no answer to that. He could only scream his rage and defiance. But they would know, they would know. He struggled furiously; but Juan only laughed with all the ugliness of passion.
“You can’t get up; you’ve got to listen to me.”
Diego knew very well that there was nothing hurt as much as that.
“You are a thief, too,” said Juan. “Martin Alonzo said so and you could not deny it.”
“Never a jail-bird,” answered Diego, as if the punishment made the crime.
“You are worse,” said Juan; “you are ungrateful. I saved your life.”
“Mine wouldn’t have been in danger if I hadn’t saved you.”
“Why don’t you pound me?” sneered Diego. “You don’t dare. You know I’ll pay you when I am up.”