h, for a wall behind his back!

"So be it!" said the man in front of him soberly.

The other went on: "The arrangements are left to you. How are you
going to do it?"

"I have the pistol that I took from him."

"What will we do with the body?"

"Let it lie. We're ready to flit from here anyway. It will be
unrecognisable before it's discovered."

Evan visualised his own body putrefying, and the heart shrivelled in
his breast. He clenched his teeth. All he had left was pride. "I
will show nothing," he repeated to himself.

With too much suffering, the whole scene became slightly unreal to him.
He heard their talk as from a little distance:

"We will draw lots. Who's got a sheet of paper? Anything will do....
This will do. Tear it in eight pieces.... No, seven. Leave C. D.
out. He couldn't pull the trigger if his own life depended on it....
I mark a cross on one piece, see? Now fold each piece in four....
Call Aunt Liza up-stairs.... A hat? All right. Drop them in. Shake
it up.... Don't let on anything to Aunt Liza.... Be quiet; here she
is.... Aunt Liza hold this hat above your head, so.... Now come up to
her one at a time and draw a paper. Do not open it until the last one
is drawn."

A dreadful silence succeeded. The hard breathing of many men was
audible in the room. Little cold drops sprang out in front of Evan's
ears. A horrible constriction fastened on his breast, so that he could
scarcely draw breath.

"Am I a coward?" he asked himself--and that caused him the sharpest
pang of all. "Other men have died without flinching. Why do I suffer
so?"

The resolute voice said: "Leave the room, Aunt Liza."

Evan heard the old negress shuffle out. She was the nearest thing to a
friend that he had there.

"Now," cried the man, with a sharp catch of excitement.

Evan heard the crackling of the little bits of paper, and heard their
breath escape them variously.

"Who has it?"

"I have!" It was the harsh voice. "It's no more than fair, since I
proposed it."

"Oh, it's too horrible! It's too horrible!" sobbed the gentler voice.
He ran out of the room.

"Let him go," said the harsh one. "This is no sight for kids."

"Here's the gun," said the other.

Evan thought: "Well, I won't take it standing still!"

Somewhere behind him the door was open. Putting his head down he
charged for it. Instantly half a dozen pairs of hands seized him. He
was borne back until he crashed aga