play as if you had all the cards in the deck. But you haven't. I've
got one ace that'll take all your trumps. Suppose I call once what'll
happen to you, pal?"

"You don't dare call," he said.

"Don't dare me," said the girl angrily. "I hate a dare worse than
anything in the world, almost." For a moment her green-blue eyes were
pools of light flashing angrily at him.

Into the hand of Ronicky Doone, with that magic speed and grace for
which his fame was growing so great in the mountain desert, came the
long, glimmering body of the revolver, and, holding it at the hip, he
threatened her.

She shrank back at that, gasping. For there was an utter surety about
this man's handling of the weapon. The heavy gun balanced and steadied
in his slim fingers, as if it were no more than a feather's weight.

"I'm talking straight, lady," said Ronicky Doone. "Sit down--pronto!"

In the very act of obedience she straightened again. "It's bluff," she
said. "I'm going through that door!" Straight for the door she went,
and Ronicky Doone set his teeth.

"Go back!" he commanded. He glided to the door and blocked her way,
but the gun hung futile in his hand.

"It's easy to pull a gun, eh?" said the girl, with something of a
sneer. "But it takes nerve to use it. Let me through this door!"