He smoothed over the last word Ken had marked and in its place, in the same fashion, began:
"No. Draw lots. Only fair."
Yes, it was fair, and Ken knew it. He wrote:
"How?"
The second torpooner scrabbled around with his fingers. Presently he unearthed something, and apparently satisfied showed them to Ken. They were two pebbles, of different sizes. Beddoes pointed to the larger. He wrote:
"Large makes attempt."
Again Ken nodded. He marked:
"Other try keep killer's attention."
From time to time a long sleek body slid down to them and edged back and forth, striving its best to dislodge them with its blunt shout. After each failure it would return to a position just over the outer entrance. At the proper moment Chanley Beddoes jumbled the pebbles in his cupped hands and laid two fists down on the pad.
Unhesitatingly, Ken placed a finger on the left one.