"I don't think so, Matin."
"You don't? What's to prevent me?"
"Why," said Hal, "when I am through with you, you will be in no condition to settle with anyone. Now, if you will take my advice, you'll put that gun in your pocket and leave this tent."
"Talk pretty big, don't you?" said Matin, with a sneer. "Well, I'll show you!"
He raised his revolver so that the muzzle pointed squarely between Hal's eyes. His finger tightened on the trigger.
"One moment, Matin," said Hal, quietly. "Don't you know that before you can pull the trigger my friend in the doorway will kill you?"
A look of fright and disappointment passed over Matin's face. Slowly he lowered his revolver and turned toward the doorway. It was the moment for which Hal had been waiting.
With a bound he leaped upon Matin and with his left hand seized Matin's right wrist. Matin uttered a snarl of rage.
"Tricked me, did you?" he shouted. "You shall pay for it."
It had been Hal's intention at first simply to wrest the revolver from his opponent's hands and then turn the man over to the officer of the guard.