If he had any hope that his bullet had gone home and that this was the fall of a dying man, it was instantly removed.  Lean arms, amazingly swift, amazingly strong, coiled round him.  Hands gripped at him with a clutch so powerful that the fingers burned into his flesh.  And, most horrible of all, Red Jim fought in utter silence, as a bull-terrier fights when it goes for the throat.

The impetus of that unexpected attack, half-stunned Lew Hervey.  Then the spur of terror gave him hysterical strength.

A hand caught at his throat and got a choking hold.  He whirled his heavy body with all his might, tore lose, and broke to his feet.  Staggering back to the wall, he saw Red Perris crouch in the door and then spring in again.  Hervey struck out with all his might but felt the blow glance and then the coiling arms were around him again.  Once again, in the crashing fall to the floor, the hold of Perris was broken and Hervey leaped away for the door yelling:  “Perris—­it’s a mistake—­for God’s sake——­”

The catlike body sprang out of the corner into which it had been flung by Hervey as the foreman rose from the floor.  As well attempt to elude a panther by flight!  Lew whirled with a sobbing breath of despair and smashed out again with clubbed fist.  But the lithe shadow swerved as a leaf whirls from a beating hand and again their bodies crashed together.

But was it a dream that there was less power in the arms of Perris now?  Had the foreman seen Red Jim lying prostrate and senseless after his battle with Alcatraz on that day, he would have understood this sudden failing of energy, but as it was he dared not trust his senses.  He only knew that it was possible to tear the twining grip away, to spring back till he crashed against the side of the shanty, still pleading in a fear-maddened voice:  “Perris, d’you hear?  I didn’t mean—­”

As well appeal to a thunder-bolt.  The shadowy form came again but now, surely, it was less swift and resistless.  He was able to leap from the path but in dodging his legs entangled in a chair and he tumbled headlong.  It was well for Hervey then that his panic was not blind, but with the surety that the end was come he whirled to his knees with the chair which had felled him gripped in both hands and straight at the lunging Perris he hurled it with all his strength.  The missile went home with a crash and Red Jim slumped into a formless shadow on the floor.

Only now that a chance for flight was open to him did the strength of Hervey desert him.  A nightmare weakness was in his knees so that he could hardly reel to his feet and he moved with outstretched hands towards the door until his toe clicked against his fallen revolver.  He paused to scoop it up and turning back through the door, he realized suddenly that Red Jim had not moved.  The body lay spilled out where it had fallen, strangely flat, strangely still.

With stumbling fingers, the foreman lighted a match and by that wobbling light he saw Perris lying on his face with his arms thrown out, as a man lies when he is knocked senseless—­as a man lies when he is struck dead!  Yet Hervey stood drinking in the sight until his match burned his fingers.