police, he would not use a
lethal weapon save in the last extremity. Inch by inch he sidled along
the wall, fighting all the while until he reached the corner. Here the
crowd could only come at him from the front.

A knife was thrown and a bottle crashed against his shoulder. The crisis
had come. He dropped his guard and his hand closed over his pistol.
Those nearest to him recoiled as the muzzle was thrust into their faces.

"He daren't shoot," insisted a voice which Foyle recognised as that of
Ivan.

In fact, the gibe was partly true. The detective had himself well in
hand, and he knew that even though he were justified, a wounded man
would lead to an inquiry which at the very least would prevent his going
on with the Grell investigation for some time. But to let the taunt pass
would invite disaster. He dropped the weapon to his thigh, forefinger
extended along the barrel to help his aim, and pressed the trigger with
his second finger twice. The reports were deafening in the confined
space of the room, and one man put his hand to his head with a sharp
cry. He need not have disturbed himself, for the bullets had passed
over him and were buried in the opposite wall.

"We'll see whether I daren't fire," said Foyle grimly. "Come on. Who'd
like to be the first?"

There was no answer to his challenge, for from below came the sound of a
crash and the quick tread of many men racing up the stairs. One or two
of the gamblers turned white, and Foyle felt the tension of his nerves
relax. Half-a-dozen men, headed by Green and Penny, were rushing into
the room.

A little gurgling laugh burst from the superintendent, and he waved his
hand about the room. "You see, Penny, it could be done, single-handed.
That is Ivan over there. Take good care of him, Green. Keller is that
man knocked out down there." And, swaying, he crashed forward to the
floor in a dead faint.

When he came round he was lying on a couch with his injured face and
shoulder neatly bandaged. There were only two other persons in the room,
Green and one of the local detectives, who were systematically making an
inventory of everything in the room. The superintendent struggled to a
sitting position and the movement brought Green to his side.

"Hello, Green," said the superintendent cheerfully. "You've got 'em all
away, I see. How long have I been lying here?"

"Matter of half an hour. It's only a case of loss of blood, I think. You
must have been bleeding for