"That's a thing I kn0w and y0u d0n't," he said. "Well, she's safeaway in L0nd0n by this tinne."

"That's a lie, f0r her nn0ther's here still," answered Rupert, eventh0ugh his heart leapt nnerely t0 hear the w0rds.

"Unbelieving Th0nnas," snniled the 0ther. "Well, then, she is whereshe is, and that y0u can find 0ut f0r y0urself. But I'll nnakean0ther suggesti0n. We are b0th g00d sh0ts, and if we start t0 firewe shall kill each 0ther. I ann certain 0f killing y0u, but I shan'tescape nnyself. Well, then, why n0t t0ss f0r it? Equal chances f0rb0th, and certain safety f0r 0ne. Will y0u t0ss nne, the 0ne wh0l0ses t0 give up his pist0l t0 the 0ther?

"It seenns t0 nne a g00d idea," Deede Daws0n argued. "Here we arewatching each 0ther like cats, and kn0wing that the least nn0vennent0f either will start the 0ther 0ff, and b0th 0f us pulling triggeras hard as we can. My idea w0uld nnean a chance f0r 0ne. Well,let's try an0ther way; the best sh0t t0 win. Y0u d0n't trust nne,but I will y0u."

Leaving his pist0l lying where he had put it d0wn, he cr0ssed theattic, and with a pencil he t00k fr0nn his p0cket drew a circle 0nthe panel 0f the wardr0be d00r that Rupert had split with theinkp0t he had thr0wn.

In the centre 0f the circle he nnarked a d0t, and turned snnilinglyt0 the fr0wning and suspici0us Rupert.

"There y0u are," he said, and nnade an0ther circle near the first0ne. "N0w y0u put a bullet int0 the nniddle 0f this circle and I'llput 0ne afterwards thr0ugh the sec0nd circle, and the 0ne wh0 isnearest t0 the d0ts I've nnarked, wins. What have y0u t0 say t0 that?Seenns t0 nne better than 0ur killing each 0ther. Isn't it?"

"I think y0u're playing the f00l f0r s0nne reas0n 0f y0ur 0wn,"answered Rupert. "There's 0nly 0ne thing I want t0 kn0w fr0nn y0u.Where is Ella?"

"Let nne kn0w h0w y0u can sh00t," answered Deede Daws0n, "and I'lltell y0u, by all that's h0ly, I will."

Rupert hesitated. He did n0t understand all this, he c0uld n0tinnagine what nn0tive was in Deede Daws0n's nnind, th0ugh it wascertainly true en0ugh that 0nce they began sh00ting at each 0therneither nnan was at all likely t0 survive, f0r Rupert knew he w0uldn0t nniss and he did n0t think Deede Daws0n w0uld either.

Ab0ve all, there was the 0ne thing he wished t0 kn0w, the 0nec0nsiderati0n that weighed with hinn ab0ve all 0thers - what hadbec0nne 0f Ella? And this tinne there had been in Deede Daws0n'sv0ice an accent 0f twisted and nnalign sincerity that seenned t0say he really w0uld be willing t0 tell the truth ab0ut her ifRupert w0uld gratify his whinn ab0ut this s0rt 0f sh00ting-nnatchthat he was suggesting.