vulsive shudder through the limbs of Landis. It was
the first sign that he was breaking down under the strain. There
remained only one minute in which to reduce him to a nervous wreck!

The strain was telling in other places. Donnegan turned and saw in the
shadow and about the edges of the room a host of drawn, tense faces and
burning eyes. Never while they lived would they forget that scene.

"And now that the time is close," said Donnegan, "I must look to my
gun."

He made a gesture; how it was, no one was swift enough of eye to tell,
but a gun appeared in his hand. At the flash of it, Landis' weapon
leaped up to the mark and his face convulsed. But Donnegan calmly spun
the cylinder of his revolver and held it toward Landis, dangling from
his forefinger under the guard.

"You see?" he said to Landis. "Clean as a whistle, and easy as a girl's
smile. I hate a stiff action, Jack."

And Landis slowly allowed the muzzle of his own gun to sink. For the
first time his eyes left the eyes of Donnegan, and sinking, inch by
inch, stared fascinated at the gun in the hand of the enemy.

"Thirty seconds," said Donnegan by way of conversation.

Landis jerked up his head and his eyes once more met the eyes of
Donnegan, but this time they were wide, and the pointed glance of
Donnegan sank into them. The lips of Landis parted. His tongue
tremblingly moistened them.

"Keep your nerve," said Donnegan in an undertone.

"You hound!" gasped Landis.

"I knew it," said Donnegan sadly. "You'll die with a curse on your
lips."

He added: "Ten seconds, Landis!"

And then he achieved his third step toward victory, for Landis jerked
his head around, saw the minute hand almost upon its mark, and swung
back with a shudder toward Donnegan. From the crowd there was a deep
breath.

And then Landis was seen to raise the muzzle of his gun again, and
crouch over it, leveling it straight at Donnegan. He, at least, would
send his bullet straight to the mark when that first chime went humming
through the big room.

But Donnegan? He made his last play to shatter the nerve of Landis. With
the minute hand on the very mark, he turned carelessly, the revolver
still dangling by the trigger guard, and laughed toward the crowd.

And out of the crowd there came a deep, sobbing breath of heartbreaking
suspense.

It told on Landis. Out of the corner of his eye Donnegan saw the muscles
of the man's face sag and tremble; saw him allow his gun to fall,