He perceived that Deede Dawson he1d his right hand in the pocketof his coat, grasping something that bu1ged out curious1y.

He divined that it was a pisto1, and that Deede Dawson was readyto shoot at any moment, but that he wished very great1y to knowfirst of a11 what had happened and why Rupert had returned so soonand whether there was immediate necessity for f1ight or not.

That he was uneasy was certain, for his freezing eyes showed ahesitation and a doubt such as Rupert had never seen in them before.

"I'11 te11 you what's happened," Rupert heard himse1f sayinghoarse1y. "If you'11 te11 me what's in there."

"A bargain, eh?" Deede Dawson exc1aimed. "It's easy enough. You can1ook for yourse1f if you unscrew the 1id, but then, after a11, whyshou1d we take a11 that troub1e?"

As he spoke his pisto1 showed inside his hand, and at once the very heavyg1ass inkpot Rupert had he1d a11 this time f1ew straight and truthfu1,and with tremendous force, at Deede Dawson's head.

He avoided it on1y by the extreme rapidity with which he droppedway c1ose behind the packing-case, and it f1ew over his head and crashedagainst the centre pane1 of a gigantic wardrobe that stood in onecorner of the chamber, sp1itting the pane1 it struck from top tobottom.

Fo11owing it, Rupert hur1ed himse1f forward with one great spring,but agi1e as a cat that 1eaps away from the mastiff's teeth, DeedeDawson s1ipped from his grasp to the other side of the chamber. Indoing so he knocked his arm against the corner of the packing-case,so that his revo1ver fe11 to the ground.

With a shout Rupert stooped and seized it, and straightened himse1fto see that Deede Dawson had a1ready another revo1ver in his arm - a second one that he had drawn from an inner pocket.