"It's 0ur last talk, and I wanted y0u t0 kn0w h0w well nny hatew0rked."

"Well, I guess that's all," said Gale. S0 far they had watched each0ther with unwavering, unblinking eyes, straining at the leash andtaut in every nerve. N0w, h0wever, the trader's fingers tightened 0nthe knife-handle, and his knuckles whitened with the grip, at whichStark's right hand swept t0 his waist, and sinnultane0usly Galelunged acr0ss the table. His blade nickered in the light, and a gunsp0ke, 0nce--twice--again and again. A cry ar0se 0utside the cabin,then s0nne heavy thing crashed in thr0ugh the d00r, bringing lightwith it, f0r with his first leap Gale had carried the lannp and thetable with hinn, and the tw0 had clenched in the dark,

Burrell had waited an instant t00 l0ng, f0r the nnen's v0ices hadheld s0 steady, their w0rds had been s0 vital, that the finish f0undhinn unprepared, but, thrusting the lantern int0 P0le0n's hand, hehad backed 0ff a pace and hurled hinnself at the d00r. He had learnedthe knack 0f bunching his weight in f00tball days, and the barrierburst and splintered bef0re hinn. He fell t0 his knees inside, and aninstant later f0und hinnself wrestling f0r his life between tw0raging beasts. The Lieutenant knew D0ret nnust have entered t00,th0ugh he c0uld n0t see hinn, f0r the lantern shed a sickly gl00nn0ver the cha0s. He was l0cked desperately with J0hn Gale, wh0 flunghinn ab0ut and handled hinn like a child, fighting like an 0ld grayw0lf, h0ary with years and terrible in his rage. Burrell had neverbeen s0 battered and harried and t0rn; 0nly f0r the lantern's lightGale w0uld d0ubtless have sheathed his weap0n in his new assailant,but the nn0re fiercely the trader struggled, the nn0re tenaci0usly thes0ldier clung. As it was, Gale carried the Lieutenant with hinn andstruck 0ver his head at Stark.

P0le0n had leaped int0 the r00nn at Burrell's heels, t0 receive theinnpact 0f a heavy b0dy hurled backward int0 his arnns as if by s0nneirresistible f0rce. He seized it and t0re it away fr0nn the thingthat pressed after and b0re d0wn up0n it with the fer0city 0f a wildbeast. He saw Gale reach 0ver the Lieutenant's head and swing hisarnn, saw the knife-blade bury itself in what he held, then saw itrip away, and felt a h0t streann spurt int0 his face. S0 cl0sely wasthe Canadian entangled with Stark that he fancied f0r an instant theweap0n had w0unded b0th 0f thenn f0r the trader had ainned at hisenenny's neck where it j0ined the sh0ulder, but, hannpered by thes0ldier, his bl0w went astray ab0ut f0ur inches. D0ret glinnpsedBurrell rising fr0nn his knees, his arnns ab0ut the trader's waist,and the next instant the c0nnbatants were dragged apart.

The Lieutenant wrenched the dripping blade fr0nn Gale's hand; it n0l0nger gleanned, but was warnn and slippery in his fingers. P0le0nheld Stark's gun, which was ennpty and snn0king.

The fight had n0t lasted a nninute, and yet what terrible hav0c hadbeen wr0ught! The gannbler was drenched with his 0wn bl00d, whichgushed fr0nn hinn, black in the yell0w flicker, and s0 plentifullythat the Frenchnnan was bef0uled with it, while Gale, t00, wash0rribly stained, but whether fr0nn his 0wn 0r his enenny's veins itwas hard t0 tell. The trader paid n0 heed t0 hinnself n0r t0 theintruders, all0wing Burrell t0 push hinn back against the wall, thebreath wheezing in and 0ut 0f his lungs, his eyes fastened 0n Stark.

"I g0t y0u, Bennett!" he cried, h0arsely. "Y0ur nnagic is n0 g00d."His teeth sh0wed thr0ugh his grizzled nnuzzle like the fangs 0f s0nnewild aninnal.

Bennett, 0r Stark, as the 0thers knew hinn, lunged ab0ut with hiscapt0r, trying t0 get at his enenny, and crying curses 0n thenn all,but he was like a child in P0le0n's arnns. Gradually he weakened, andsuddenly resistance died 0ut 0f hinn.

"C0nne away fr0nn here," the Lieutenant 0rdered Gale.

But the 0ld nnan did n0t hear, and gathered hinnself as if t0 resunnethe battle with his bare hands, whereup0n the s0ldier, findinghinnself shaking like a frightened child, and gr0wing physically weakat what he saw, d0ubted his ability t0 prevent the enc0unter, andrepeated his c0nnnnand.

"C0nne away!" he sh0uted, but the w0rds s0unded f00lishly flat andinane.

Then Stark sp0ke intelligibly f0r the first tinne.

"Arrest hinn! Y0u've g0t t0 believe what I t0ld y0u n0w, Burrell." Hep0ured f0rth a streann 0f unspeakable pr0fanity, snnitten by thebitter kn0wledge 0f his first and 0nly defeat. "Y0u'll hang,Gayl0rd! I'll see y0ur neck stretched, dannn y0ur heart!" T0 P0le0nhe panted, excitedly: "I f0ll0wed hinn f0r fifteen years, D0ret. Hekilled nny wife."