The latter laughed contemptuously.
This irritated Abner Holden.
“I will count ten,” he said. “Unless the boy begins to come down before I stop, I fire at you. One—two——”
“Hold!” said Ralph, and, drawing his revolver from beneath his hunting-jacket, he pointed it at Abner. “Two can play at that game, Abner Holden. This revolver is fully loaded. It gives me six chances of hitting you. You have but one chance with your pistol. The moment your finger touches the trigger, your doom is sealed. I never miss my aim.”
A sickly hue overspread the face of Abner Holden. He had counted on Ralph's being unarmed. He saw that he had made an important and most unlucky mistake.
“Put down your revolver,” he said, in a very different tone. “I wasn't in earnest, you know.”
“I know nothing of the kind,” retorted Ralph. “You looked to me as if you were very much in earnest.”
Still with his revolver he covered Abner.
“Put down your weapon,” said Abner, nervously. “It might go off.”
“Yes, it might,” returned Ralph. “I will lower it, on one condition.”