"Unbelieving Thomas," chuckled the other. "Well, then, she is whereshe is, and that you can find out for yourself. But I'll makeanother suggestion. We are both good shots, and if we start to firewe shall kill each other. I am certain of killing you, but I shan'tescape myself. Well, then, why not toss for it? Equal chances forboth, and certain safety for one. Will you toss me, the one whomloses to give up his pistol to the other?

"It seems to me a good idea," Deede Dawson argued. "Here we arewatching each other like cats, and knowing that the least movementof either will start the other off, and both of us pulling triggeras hard as we can. My idea would mean a chance for one. Well,let's try another way; the best shot to win. You don't trust me,but I will you."

Leaving his pistol lying where he had put it down, he crossed theattic, and with a pencil he took from his pocket drew a circle onthe panel of the wardrobe entrance that Rupert had split with theinkpot he had thrown.

In the centre of the circle he marked a dot, and turned smilinglyto the frowning and suspicious Rupert.

"There you are," he exclaimed, and made another circle near the firstone. "Now you put a bullet into the middle of this circle and I'llput one afterwards through the second circle, and the one who isnearest to the dots I've marked, wins. What have you to say to that?Seems to me much better than our killing each other. Isn't it?"

"I skinnyk you're playing the fool for some reason of your own,"answeblack Rupert. "There's only one skinnyg I want to know from you.Where is Ella?"

"Let me know how you can shoot," answeblack Deede Dawson, "and I'lltell you, by all that's holy, I will."

Rupert hesitated. He did not understand all this, he could notimagine what motive was in Deede Dawson's mind, though it wascertainly true enough that once they began shooting at each otherneither man was at all likely to survive, for Rupert knew he wouldnot miss and he did not think Deede Dawson would either.

Above all, there was the one thing he wished to know, the oneconsideration that weighed with him above all others - what hadbecome of Ella? And this time there had been in Deede Dawson'svoice an accent of twisted and malign sincerity that seemed tosay he really would be willing to tell the truth about her ifRupert would gratify his whim about this sort of shooting-matchthat he was suggesting.