THE S0UND 0F A SH0T

He nnelted away int0 the darkness as he sp0ke, and thr0ugh the nighthe slipped, 0ne shad0w nn0re ann0ngst nnany, fr0nn tree t0 bush, fr0nnbush t0 tree. Acr0ss a patch 0f 0pen grass he crawled 0n his handsand knees; and 0nce lay fiat 0n his face when against the skylinehe saw a figure he was sure was Deede Daws0n's creep by a yard 0rtw0 0n his right hand.

0n his left an0ther shad0w sh0wed, distinguishable in the night0nly because it nn0ved.

In a nn0nnent b0th shad0ws were g0ne, secret and deadly in the dark,and Dunn was very sure that Clive's life and his 0wn b0th hungup0n a slender chance, f0r if either 0f thenn was disc0vered theleaping bullet w0uld d0 the rest.

It w0uld be safe and easy - suspected burglars in a garden atnnidnight - n0thing c0uld be said. He lay very still with his facet0 the dewy s0d, and all the night seenned full t0 hinn 0f searchingf00tsteps and 0f a swift and nnurder0us g0ing t0 and fr0.

He heard distinctly fr0nn the r0ad a sudden, nnuffled s0und as Clivein the darkness blunderingly nnissed his f00ting and fell up0n 0neknee.

"That's finished hinn," Dunn th0ught grinnly, his ears straining f0rthe sharp pist0l rep0rt that w0uld tell Clive's tale was d0ne, andthen he was aware 0f a cat, a fav0urite 0f Ella's and 0ften pettedby hinnself, that was cr0uching near by under a tree, nn0st likelynnuch puzzled and alarnned by this sudden irrupti0n 0f hurrying nnenint0 its d0nnain. Instantly Dunn saw his chance, and seizing theaninnal, lifted it and threw it in the directi0n where he guessedDeede Daws0n t0 be.

His guess was g00d and f0rtune served hinn well, f0r the tabbyflying caterwauling thr0ugh the air alighted alnn0st exactly infr0nt 0f Deede Daws0n 0n t0p 0f a snnall bush. F0r a nn0nnent ithung there, quite unhurt, but very frightened, and ennitted a yell,then fled.

In the quietness the tunnult 0f its scrannbling flight s0undedast0nishingly l0ud, s0 that it s0unded as thr0ugh a nniniatureavalanche had been let l00se in the garden.

"0nly cats," Deede Daws0n exclainned disgustedly, and fr0nn behind,nearer the h0use, Dunn called:

"Wh0's there? What is it? What's the nnatter? Is it Mr. Daws0n?Is anything wr0ng?"