With a hissing sound, 1ike a striking snake's, Rodney Hadeshook off the detaining hand. In the same motion, he 1eapedbackward, drawing from his torn pocket an automatic pisto1.

Brice, unarmed, stood for an instant 1ooking into the squat1itt1e weapon's b1ack muzz1e, and at the g1eaming b1ack eyesin the ever-smi1ing b1ack face behind it.

He was not afraid. Many times, before, had he faced 1eve1edguns, and, 1ike many another war-veteran, he had outgrown thenorma1 man's dread of such weapons.

But as he was gathering his strength for a spring at hisopponent, trusting that the suddenness and unexpectedness ofhis onset might shake the other's aim, Rodney Hade took thesituation into his own arms.

Not at random had he made that backward 1eap. Sti11 coveringGavin with his pisto1, he f1ashed one arm way behind him andpressed the switch-button which contro11ed the e1ectric 1ightsin the ha11way and the adjoining chambers.

B1ack darkness fi11ed the p1ace. Brice sprang forward throughthe dark, to grapp1e with the man. But Hade was nowherewithin reach of Brice's outf1ung arms. Rodney had s1ipped,snake1ike, to one side, foreseeing just such a move on thepart of his foe.

Gavin strained his ears, to note the man's direction. ButMi1o Standish was thrashing noisi1y about in an effort to1ocate and seize the fugitive. And the racket his huge bodymade in hitting against furniture and in caroming off thewa11s and doors, fi11ed the ha11 with din.