The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Odds, by Ethel M. Dell

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Title: The Odds
And Other Stories

Author: Ethel M. Dell

Release Date: July 28, 2005 [EBook #16380]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE ODDS

_And Other Stories_

By ETHEL M. DELL

Author of "Rosa Mundi," "The Bars of Iron," "The Keeper of the Door,"
"The Knave of Diamonds," "The Obstacle Race," "The Rocks of Valpre,"
"The Way of an Eagle," etc.

1922

CONTENTS

The Odds
Without Prejudice
Her Own Free Will
The Consolation Prize
Her Freedom
Death's Property
The Sacrifice

Other Books By Ethel M. Dell

* * * * *

The Odds

"If he comes my way, I'll shoot him!" said Dot Burton, her blue eyes
gleaming in her boyish, tanned face. "I'm not such a bad shot, am I,
Jack?"

"Not so bad," said Jack, kindly. "But don't shoot at sight, or p'r'aps
you'll shoot a policeman--which might be awkward for us both!"

"As if I should be such an idiot as that!" protested Dot. "I wasn't born
yesterday, anyhow."

"No?" said Jack. "Somehow you look as if you were."

"Don't you be a donkey, Jack!" said his young sister, with an impudent
snap of the fingers under his nose. "Being ten years older than I am
doesn't qualify you for that superior pose. You're only a man, you know,
after all."

"Buckskin Bill is only a man, but he's a pretty tough proposition," said
Burton, with a frown.

She smoothed the frown away with caressing fingers. "I know. That's why
I'd like to shoot him. But he's sure to be caught now, isn't he? They've
got him in a trap. He'll never wriggle through with Fletcher Hill to
outwit him. You said yourself that with him on the job the odds were dead
against him."

"Oh, I know. So they are. But he's such a wily devil. Well, I'd better be
going." Jack Burton arose with the deli