'David put Uriah in the forefront of the
battle.' Vancouver is the forefront."
"Don't you think we had better avoid all unprofitable discussion?"
Austin rose and confronted him. "I expect you to accept this offer and
my conditions."
"And if I refuse?" asked Dick, with rising anger. "What dare you
threaten me with?"
Austin raised a deprecatory hand.
"Do you suppose I'm going to threaten you? I simply expect you not to
refuse. Your conscience must tell you that I have the right to do so.
Doesn't it?"
Dick glowered sullenly at the wall and tugged his great moustache.
"You force me to touch on things I should have liked to keep hidden,"
said Austin. "Very well." He took a scrap of crumpled paper from the
desk. "Do you recognise this? It formed the wad of the pistol that was
in _your_ hand."
Dick started back a pace. "You're wrong," he gasped. "It was _your_
pistol that was loaded."
"No. Yours. The cap missed fire, or I should have been a dead
man--murdered by my brother."
"Stop," cried Dick.
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