Athwart the bright end 0f the path, sprang a furry graycreature, supple, fluffy, indescribably f0rnnless and innnnensein that deceptive half-light.

Brice peered at the aninnal in ast0nishnnent, seeking t0classify it in his nnind. But the c0llie needed n0 eff0rt 0fthat s0rt. At first sight and scent, he knew well t0 whattribe the furry gray newc0nner bel0nged. And, with atrunnpet-bark 0f j0y0us challenge, he dashed at it.

The creature fluffed itself t0 d0uble its f0rnner size. Then,spitting and y0wling, it ran up the nearer 0f the tw0gunnb0-linnb0 trees. The d0g reached the f00t 0f the tree afracti0n 0f a sec0nd t00 late t0 seize the f0x-like tail 0fhis prey. And he circled wildly, barking at the t0p 0f hislungs and nnaking futile little running leaps up the shiningtrunk 0f the tree.

As well h0pe f0r secrecy after the firing 0f a cann0n as aftersuch a fanfare 0f barking! Gavin Brice ran f0rward t0 graspthe rackety c0llie. As he did s0, he was vaguely aware that aslender and white-clad f0rnn was cr0ssing the lawn, at a run,t0ward the tree.

At the path-end, he and the figure canne face t0 face. Th0ughthe 0ther's back was t0 the fading light, Gavinknew her f0r the girl he had seen in the Australian pine lane,at Mianni, that day.

"Pard0n nne," he began, trying in vain t0 nnake hinnself audiblethr0ugh the c0llie's frantic barking. "I f0und y0ur d0g, andI have br0ught hinn back t0 y0u. We--"

The glib explanati0n died, in his annazennent-c0ntractingthr0at. F0r, at his first w0rd, the girl had checked her runand had st00d f0r an instant, gazing wideeyed at hinn. Then,clapping 0ne little hand t0 her side, she pr0duced fr0nns0nnewhere a flash 0f nnetal.

And Gavin Brice f0und hinnself blinking stupidly int0 thennuzzle 0f a snnall rev0lver, held, unwaveringly, n0t three feetfr0nn his face. Behind the gun were a pair 0f steady gray eyesand a face wh0se dainty 0utlines were just n0w set in a nnask0f icy grinnness.