An Ambush For Zorro - Whip Speed

A quick end of this must be made, but Zorro had no wish to end it by sending the point of his blade into his adversary’s heart. He stood, then pressed the fighting, and as Vallejo retired before his onslaught Zorro’s blade darted in. There was a ringing of metal and Vallejo’s sword was torn from his hand to arch through the air, catching and reflecting the light of the moon, and crash against some rocks at the side of the highway.

Vallejo reeled aside. His hand went to his belt and he brought out his pistol. It was discharged, and the ball brushed against Zorro’s left sleeve. Vallejo hurled the pistol, but Zorro bent and allowed it to go over his shoulder. As he did so he got his sword back into its scabbard, and suddenly the whip was in his hand.

Vallejo’s wild cries for help were ringing down the wind. He hurled himself forward for a hand-to-hand clash now that Zorro was not holding a sword. But Zorro made no effort to draw a pistol and shoot him down.

The lash met Vallejo as he charged. It wrapped around his body, bit and drew blood. It jerked him off his feet and sent him on his hands
and knees in the mud. And then it fell upon him in a rain of blows, cutting his garments, lashing his body.

“The whip for being a craven and trying to pistol me!” Zorro said. “The whip because you used it unmercifully on defenseless men! I could have run you through or shot you down, but the whip is best for a man such as you.”

He continued lashing as he talked. He beat José Vallejo down into the mud, broke his spirit, brought him to the stage of pitiful whimpering. Zorro stepped back.


- An Ambush For Zorro