47. Better Odds

The Mulateños advanced faster than their adversaries retreated and soon breached the point of engagement. When there was absolutely no more space left to go, Lilo suddenly stepped forward and swung his weapon upwards at a man standing in front of him. The metal bar caught the intended target solidly across his forearms and made him drop his weapon. The man recoiled without a sound and looked down at his arms that now drooped down at an unnatural angle. A young man behind him reached around whacked Lilo on his arm with a long metal stake before Lilo could react. Lilo staggered sideways but held on to his weapon. The fat Mulateño backing up Lilo stepped up and challenged Lilo's attacker, who backed away. The Mulateño pursued him a couple of steps with his hammer raised in the air but was confronted by another man who stepped in and swung a thick wooden fence post back and forth. The Mulateño dodged the first swing but took a backswing on his ribs. He winced and dropped his hammer to his knee momentarily. Seeing the opening, another man rushed in to help finish him off, but the two attackers were both struck by Lilo´s pry bar that twirled through the air at them. One man fell back as the heavy iron slammed against his face. The other man froze in place momentarily as the blunt end of the bar flew into his chest and fell to the ground. In the meantime, the fat Mulateño had recovered enough to bring his hammer back up. The man backed off, but not before Lilo smashed his foot with a big rock he had picked up. The man dropped his weapon and hobbled away. Not looking where he was going, he got too close to the other team of Mulateños and was quickly felled. Seeing Lilo unarmed, two different men went after him.
"Run here!" yelled the fat Mulateño.

Lilo ran to him, and his companion stepped forward and engaged the two pursuers. The Mulateño brought his hammer down hard on one of them, but the other one dug a long flat iron into his thigh. The Mulateño buckled, and the man raised his weapon for the coup de grace. The metal came down with little force, however, because the man holding it was struck by a rock thrown by the Mulateño accompanying Ervey before he could bear down. The man fell on his haunches then leaned forward onto the fat Mulateño, who in turn fell on his knees. Lilo quickly stepped in to pull the man off and steady his partner. Yanking the man back by his shirt collar, Lilo saw that there was no more fight in him and let go and grabbed his fallen comrade shirt.

“Get up, güey!” Lilo exhorted him.

“Sí. Sí,” said the fat Mulateño, “Yes, I can. I’m going to.”

The pair stood up straight and surveyed the field. There was nobody else standing close to them. It was now the four Mulateños against four remaining able-bodied fighters. Their chances had greatly improved, but one of their own was greatly diminished in fighting capacity.

The adversaries eyed each other silently. Nobody moved.