A
minute, a second too quick, an' I'll 'aunt you, so 'elp me, I will!"

Jacob Kent looked dubious, but declined to talk.

"'Ow's your chronometer? Wot's your longitude? 'Ow do you know as your
time's correct?" Cardegee persisted, vainly hoping to beat his
executioner out of a few minutes. "Is it Barrack's time you 'ave, or is
it the Company time? 'Cos if you do it before the stroke o' the bell,
I'll not rest. I give you fair warnin'. I'll come back. An' if you
'aven't the time, 'ow will you know? That's wot I want--'ow will you
tell?"

"I'll send you off all right," Kent replied. "Got a sun-dial here."

"No good. Thirty-two degrees variation o' the needle."

"Stakes are all set."

"'Ow did you set 'em? Compass?"

"No; lined them up with the North Star."

"Sure?"

"Sure."

Cardegee groaned, then stole a glance at the trail. The sled was just
clearing a rise, barely a mile away, and the dogs were in full lope,
running lightly.

"'Ow close is the shadows to the line?"

Kent walked to the primitive timepiece and studied it. "Three inches,"
he announced, after a careful survey.

"Say, jes' sing out 'eight bells' afore you pull the gun, will you?"

Kent agreed, and they lapsed into silence. The thongs about Cardegee's
wrists were slowly stretching, and he had begun to work them over his
hands.

"Say, 'ow close is the shadows?"

"One inch."

The sailor wriggled slightly to assure himself that he would topple over
at the right moment, and slipped the first turn over his hands.

"'Ow close?"

"Half an inch." Just then Kent heard the jarring churn of the runners
and turned his eyes to the trail. The driver was lying flat on the sled
and the dogs swinging down the straight stretch to the cabin. Kent
whirled back, bringing his rifle to shoulder.

"It ain't eight bells yet!" Cardegee expostulated. "I'll 'aunt you,
sure!"

Jacob Kent faltered. He was standing by the sun-dial, perhaps ten paces
from his victim. The man on the sled must have seen that something
unusual was taking place, for he had risen to his knees, his whip singing
viciously among the dogs.

The shadows swept into line. Kent looked along the sights.

"Make ready!" he commanded solemnly. "Eight b--"

But just a fraction of a second too soon, Cardegee rolled backward into
the hole. Kent held his fire and ran to the edge. Bang! The gun
exploded full in the sailor's face as he rose to his feet. But no smoke
came