Page 27 (1/2)

"Come, Tom," coaxed the other, "everybody's heerd o' Buck Vibbot,

'i, rolling his bullet-head, "if you was to ask me

who put Ted Jarraway to sleep, I should answer you, Sir Maurice

Vibart, commonly called 'Buck' Vibart; an' it took ten rounds to

do it, not five"

As may be expected, at this mention of my cousin's name I pricked

up my ears

"And what's all this 'bout hi, in three?"

At this there was a sudden silence and all eyes were turned towards

the speaker, a small, red-headed felloith a truculent eye

"Co out a cloud of tobacco smoke, "in three

rounds! What d'ye say to that now, co at his

inquisitor open-

of the clock in the corner, and the crackle of the logs upon the

hearth Then, all at once, Cragg's pipe shivered to fragments on

the floor and he leapt to his feet In one stride, as it seemed,

he reached the speaker, who occupied the corner opposite mine,

but, even as he raised his fist, he checked himself before the

pocket-pistol which the other held levelled across the table

"Come, come--none o' that," said the red-headed htin' cove myself, and I don't